4 Ways to Know You're in "Obstacle Shock" ~ Turn "Why Me?" into "Yes Me!" and Advance Powerfully Into Victory!

~Obstacle SHOCK~

We've all been there. 
We've all had that moment when we can't believe that WE, after however many years of practice, are facing a HUGE OBSTACLE. 

It seems, sometimes, that no matter how much we study, and we KNOW huge obstacles bring huge benefits, and HUGE obstacles come to people making HUGE positive causes, that sometimes obstacles still, as my mother would say, "throw us for a loop." (I wonder where that phrase came from!) and we go into Obstacle Shock. 
I guess we could also call this a "reactionary" phase. Sometimes I call it the "Wah Wah Wah" phase, when my life is reeling from the impact of a huge obstacle. 

What is "Obstacle Shock?" How do we know we're in it? 
Here are some recent observations from my own experience:

4 Ways to know 
You're in "Obstacle Shock"
by Jamie Lee Silver from Chantforhappiness.com

1. When we're in "Obstacle Shock" we go around with the constant thought "This can't be happening to me. These things happen to other people; not to me," and our brain gets caught in the endless "Why me?" loop.

2. We wonder how we could have drawn this obstacle into our lives and are dumbfounded to find a karmic connection. It just feels unreal...like we're living someone else's life.  It can be hard to concentrate on anything, whether it's chanting, or work, or....anything. 

3. It is HARD to chant. Really hard to chant. Some people stop chanting altogether. Most of us, soldier on...every morning and evening doing our very best to connect...but somehow feeling "off our game", and like our Daimoku just isn't as powerful as it usually is. We may feel as if we are going through the motions. 

4. We pull away from our friends in faith. Not always. But sometimes. When it comes time to go to a meeting it may feel like we're just out of synch, and it's easier to say "Oh I'm going through this incredible obstacle, I just don't have time to get to a meeting now!" Or "I can't call members to encourage them! I have ________obstacle going on now!" And of course, we know, somewhere deep inside that it's more important than ever to get to that meeting! 

"Obstacle shock" is, I believe, a natural part of life. It happens to everyone. And we have to keep going until we emerge from the other side. 

This week I connected with a region leader in LA who went through a similar obstacle to the one I am facing right now, and triumphed in the end (Of course!) And she talked about her own "Obstacle shock" and how hard it was to chant when the obstacle first arose...how people would come to chant with her, and how it felt like she was just going through the motions. And then, at a certain point, the "Obstacle Shock" bubble burst and she began to move the levers of her practice again, feel the connection while chanting, and know she was going to win.  

I realized that we ALL go through what I call "Obstacle Shock." It doesn't matter how long we practice. And our sheer ability to keep chanting, even when it's hard, and we've temporarily lost faith in our Daimoku, THIS CHANTING and STUDYING TIME is crucial. 

The Daimoku we chant when it's hardest to chant may be our most beneficial of all. 

THIS is when we are really changing our karma. And the moment will come when we click back in and KNOW we are winning. 

4 Ways to turn "Why Me" into "Yes Me!" and advance Powerfully Into Victory! 

1. We keep chanting, even when it feels like we're "out of synch" or that somehow our prayer doesn't feel as deep. We keep chanting, and studying!

2. We don't make ourselves "wrong" for feeling this way, and struggling to chant. We remember it's a natural part of the practice, and keep going to the best of our ability. 

3. We nurture ourselves. We do what feels good to us. We are our own best friends. What feels good to you? Yoga, being with friends, walking, energy healing, massage, writing, singing? Whatever it is...do it! 

4. And we know we will "Click Back In" when we persevere, and are able to switch our attention back to our mission for kosen-rufu. 

The woman from LA who was encouraging me said everything changed for her when she re~embraced her mission for kosen rufu and began focusing on shakubukuing youth. She ended up being invited in to speak to youth who were struggling, and helped many families to begin their Buddhist practice. She took her own HUGE obstacle and turned it into a HUGE benefit. She "Clicked Back In" and achieved Victory for herself and her family. 

Sometimes we just have to get to the other side of "Obstacle Shock" and turn "Why Me" into "Yes Me!" where we click back in to our missions as Boddhisatvas of the earth. If we persevere this will definitely happen! 

Daisaku Ikeda says: 

"The important thing is to advance brightly, 
to strive for victory each moment, 
right where we are; 
to begin something here and now 
instead of worrying over what may happen. 
This is the starting point for transforming our lives."

Faith in Action, page 75

Guidance by Daisaku Ikeda

IT is beneficial to study the doctrines of Buddhism. The more we study them, the more it reinforces our understanding and deepens our appreciation of the excellence and profundity of Buddhism, which in turn serves to strengthen our faith and conviction. The fundamental purpose of our Buddhist study is to fortify the power of our faith and practice.


"TRY" is a little word, but big things - victory and glory - can be found within it. The sight of someone trying, no matter what obstacles one faces, no matter what the circumstances are, is the sight of victory itself.


PRAYERS offered based on the Mystic Law for the repose of a deceased parent constitute the highest form of filial piety. The Daishonin stated that one who carries out such filial actions will definitely be protected by the Buddhist gods.


IT is vital to deepen your "roots of faith". If the roots of your faith are deep, you will never be toppled by the winds of impermanence. The "branches" of complete fulfilment will then grow, and the "fruit" of your change in destiny towards the attainment of Buddhahood will ripen. The accumulation of many experiences in faith, along with your daily practice and effort, will nourish the root of your faith and allow them to spread and deepen.

Daily Guidance by Daisaku Ikeda

THE power of daimoku is invincible. Through daimoku, there is no
situation we cannot change, no obstacle we cannot surmount, no battle
in kosen-rufu or in daily life we cannot win. As long as we possess
strong faith, we can, at every moment, turn wherever we are into a
Land of Tranquil Light.


THROUGH life-to-life encouragement in faith, we can polish our
character and deepen our faith. Through encouraging one another in
various ways, we can deepen our faith and secure a course along the
correct path in life. The way of faith is profound; you cannot
continue to walk it alone.


A single day of work for kosen-rufu rivals a year or even two years of
living without such a goal when one considers the worth of the golden
light it releases. That is because each day, each instant determines
to what extent our life will be filled with blessing and merit.

ESPECIALLY since Buddhism teaches the true path of humanity, in the
realm of Buddhism, there can be no excuse for such ingratitude as
scorning and trampling on those who have helped you, for thinking only
of yourself and not caring about anyone else. This is completely
divorced from the true path of humanity.


AS human beings, we are polished and forged in the great sea of
humanity. We are able to build a solid self through coming into
contact and interacting with all kinds of people, young and old alike.
It is the same in the realm of faith. We block off the path to our own
happiness if we succumb to selfish faith that is disconnected from the
SGI. That is what makes a harmoniously united organisation of faith so
important.

Experience of Victory in Health

This is my recent experience Shared on 23.03.2014 (Sunday) 

Good morning!

I am Nalini Prakash. I have been practicing this noble philosophy of Nichiren Daishonin’s Buddhism for the last 12 years. I cannot even imagine my life without this practice.

It is my greatest pleasure and privilege to report my victory to my mentor Dr Daisaku Ikeda and heartfelt thanks to GOHONZON for providing me the opportunity to share my experience on this day. 

On 4^th December 2013 my father ( 67 years old) was taken to the hospital on an emergency due to acute abdominal pain. His scan report showed appendicitis with perforation. He required an emergency surgery. On operating the abdomen there was a lot of pus and all the interstitial coils were stuck to each other. The surgeon also saw a mass in the large intestine.  The tumour was quite big. The surgeon suspected it to be a Cancer/TB.  So major surgery was carried out – right hemicolectomy. This part of large intestine was subjected to pathological examination. After dissection, multiple sections were given from the specimen to confirm or exclude the diagnosis of malignancy.

I am very fortunate to be working in a Medical college and that too in the department of pathology.  We have faculty with many years of experience in pathology, however most of the faculty collectively felt that it could be Cancer/TB. One of the doctor with previous work experience from prestigious cancer hospital and specialist in oncopathology strongly felt that my father’s case was a 100% malignancy case without any doudt. She asked me to approach her if she needed assistance in any way.

This was really challenging for me and was an opportunity to show the actual proof to doctors emphasizing my faith in the practice.   Majority of the faculty were in favour of malignancy.  After having seen my father’s resected surgical specimen faculty members were worried seeing the nature of the growth in the colon and its gross appearance.  However they made sure that adequate sections were given from the representative growth to rule out or confirm the malignancy. 

I decided to challenge it.  During this period, my daimoku was keeping my life condition high and even though I was struggling, I still felt confident and full of hope.

My Buddhist practice has taught me to overcome difficulties by focusing on prayer and taking action for others. I began by chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo and visiting members. As I encouraged them, my resolve strengthened. 

I read gosho Reply to kyo’s Nichiren Daishonin says “Believe in this mandala with all your heart. Nam-myoho-renge-kyo is like the roar of a lion. What sickness can therefore be an obstacle?" these lines inspired me a lot. 

I was constantly in touch with my Gakkai members. I took guidance from my seniors. I was advised to increase my daimoku. I continued my human revolution (through chanting for Doctors wisdom, nurses, entire hospital patients speed recovery, talking to patient attenders for their high life condition and for their courage) and be determined to win. 

"Let me experience WITH MY LIFE the power of this prayer - not just for myself, but so that I can encourage others." 

I followed this guidance wholeheartedly and each day I used to study and share my mentors guidance and encouraged other members. I felt as though Sensei is chanting with me encouraging me not to lose hope and to move forward for the final victory.

Multiple lymph nodes were found and sections were given for examination. Thorough microscopic examination revealed no evidence of malignancy/ TB.  

The diagnosis was Eosinophilic colitis with peritonitis.

 It was a very pleasant surprise to the entire faculty and they themselves told it’s amazing. It’s a rare case. 

This being a unique case, the faculty involved in reporting this case and have taken it up into converting this to a publication in a reputed medical journal. 

This case also highlights interesting facts in medical science and serves as a wonderful learning experience for pathology post graduate students. 

Post this,  doctors and friends in my work place  who knew about the practice encouraged me to continue and asked me never to discontinue the practice under any circumstances. 

The surgery was required because of the nature of the complication. 

These days it is very difficult to get admitted in a good hospital. One has to face many problems like getting bed in ICU, high ICU charges, every day we have to pay, getting good doctors and good facilities. In this case, timely intervention prevented discomfort, distress and agony for my father.

Mystically   during this period, protection came financially also.

From the day one I spoke to Chief administrator in the hospital, he ensured all arrangements were made till the end. The entire treatment was covered by the institution and we got a special ward too! Except the charges for medicine, 

ICU Charges, doctors consult fees, surgery fees, OTTcharges, lab fees, nursing fees & special ward charges were completely covered. 

I was chanting for other patient’s speedy recovery.Patient attenders voluntarily looked after my father. I did not apply any leave; people were very co-operative and took good care of my father. 

Throughout 15 days of his hospital journey my father was having a high life condition and the doctors, nurses and attenders werevery happy to see my father recover. 

 I’m happy to report that now he is eating healthy food, walking twice a day. He is basically a musician and has started his regular programs.                       . 

During this period I did lots of shakubuku. At work place I showed lots of actual proof in my department. Due to this I got an opportunity to do shakubuku and spread Daishonin’s Buddhism. Through this experience, I am planting the seeds of Buddhism at my work place, friends and   relatives   spreading Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. 

With this victory, I determine to make each day of my life a victorious experience. I will challenge, small or big, and create a history to prove the power of the Mystic Law.

Thanks to the Gakkai members who supported me a lot. 

How We Win Over Our Biggest Problems

From the April Living Buddhism, 

Daisaku Ikeda's Gosho lecture on 

"The Treatment of Illness" 

by Nichiren Daishonin:

"Mr. Toda said: 
"If the entire human race could manifest 
the life state of buddhahood ~ 
that is, character of the highest quality ~ 
there would be no war or hunger in the world. 
There would be no illness, and no poverty. 
Elevating the entire human race to the state of Buddhahood, to character of the highest quality ~ 
this is carrying out the work of the Thus Come One."

To achieve this, 
we need to expand the goodness in life 
as broadly as possible 
through our prayers and our actions. 
Our greatest mission as SGI members  
is to create value for all humankind."

WE are ushering in the new age of humanity through our thoughts, words and deeds. And how are we doing this? Mostly through challenging our problems - no matter how great they are. Sometimes it feels like the problems are bigger than us, doesn't it? I speak from experience! But I also speak from experience when I say that when we persevere in our practice and study a life-force of wisdom arises that fuels those actions, gives us confidence and brings us and others hope. 

In the same Gosho lecture, President Ikeda states:

"No matter how harsh the adversity, we can always find a way to make it into an opportunity for our great human revolution, we can always use it to create value. The is the essence of Nichiren Buddhism."

In this Gosho Lecture, President ikeda writes that we can overcome "illnesses of the mind" by dispelling ignorance in our lives, and bringing forth the awakening of our Buddhahood. One of the manifestations of Ignorance is not seeing and believing on our own Buddhahood. 

To break through our struggles Sensei says:

"When we find ourselves up against a wall of suffering and feel like we can't go on - that's the time when we can rouse the underlying power inherent in our beings through chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. As Nichiren Daishonin writes, "Only by defeating a powerful enemy can one prove one's real strength." (Letter from Sado, WND- 1, 302)

How can we do this? By not giving up...by continuing to realize that Nam-myoho-renge-kyo is more powerful than our biggest problem...our life itself is as as vast as the universe, and when we chant we are tapping that vast power within us. As long as we keep chanting we are winning over ourselves. 

AND, when we realize we are tackling our problems so that we can help others and inspire others our practice becomes a joy! When we can chant: 

"I MUST WIN! 
Because I can inspire so many 
when I win over this problem...
there MUST be value in this for Kosen-rufu. 
I will definitely win 
and use this experience to inspire others!" 

If we are at a deadlock we will win when we study, chant, consult our leaders in faith and keep chanting! 

President Ikeda ends the lecture with:

"As SGI members 
who uphold the sound philosophy 
of Nichiren Buddhism, 
a teaching of respect for the dignity of life, 
let us continue to illuminate the hearts 
of our precious friends 
with the light of courage and hope, 
and make intrepid efforts in the form of peace, 
friendship and happiness 
in our communities and societies."

Rumi Quote ~ We are one

I love this!

Daily Guidance by Daisaku Ikeda

SOME people seem to be active for a while, but eventually disappear from our movement for kosen-rufu. Almost without exception, such people are negligent in their daily practice of gongyo. Those who neglect doing gongyo will eventually lose their ability to grasp any points of faith or to accept guidance, no matter how great it may be.


ONE of my mottos is that waves get rougher every time they encounter an obstacle. Another is that the true hero is one who is strong when he rises up alone. These have been my convictions from the time I was sixteen.


TO live honestly and straightforwardly in the world of kosen-rufu. To always continue struggling forward. To persevere in the practice for oneself and for others. Through such efforts, the "heart" of faith will solidify. The world of Buddhahood exists in faith that is forged in such a fashion.


YOUR practice of gongyo and daimoku is not an obligation, it is a right. The Gohonzon will never demand that you chant to it. An attitude of appreciation in being able to chant to the Gohonzon is the heart of faith. The more you exert yourself in faith - in doing gongyo and chanting daimoku - the more you stand to gain.


"I am happy. For I uphold the unsurpassable Mystic Law" - just talk to others about Buddhism with this conviction. No matter what your present circumstances, everyone who chants and spreads the Mystic Law is an emissary of the Buddha. I hope you will all take great pride in the fact that you are accumulating immeasurable good fortune and walking a direct course to eternal happiness.