How to Make Good Friends in Faith

 Good friends in faith! 

Good Friends In Faith
A Collection of Quotes by Daisaku Ikeda

The way of Buddhism is profound, and its wisdom is difficult to fathom. No matter how wise or knowledgeable one may appear, the wisdom of common mortals is trifling by comparison. Therefore, to pursue the way to Buddhahood, we have no choice but to make a "good friend" in faith. If we do so, the power of such a good friend will enable us to pursue the correct course toward enlightenment without error. (12/12/87)

A good friend in faith means someone who encourages your Buddhist practice and guides you toward the path of enlightenment. The same applies to our own practice of faith. The Gohonzon is always the basis of our practice. Needless to say, carrying out our correct faith is what is most important. However, if you no longer have someone who can teach you faith and guide your practice correctly, or if you follow the wrong person, it will become difficult for you to forge on along the great path of faith toward enlightenment. A good friend is, as it were, an important support in completing your faith and practice. Therefore, the most important point in faith is what kind of people you have as friends. In this sense, I hope you deeply understand that there is profound meaning behind the existence of the Soka Gakkai, which teaches correct faith and is advancing together along the path of kosen-rufu.(3/1/88)

Naturally, the Mystic Law is the foundation of all things. However, without "good friends" who can lead us to the Gohonzon, practically speaking, it would be impossible to attain Buddhahood. Fellow members who sincerely encourage us and the organization for kosen-rufu that enables us to follow the path of correct faith are the good friends we need. All fellow members who sincerely practice faith are good friends to one another. Though there may be differences in members' organizational positions and length of time practicing, we are all equal before the Gohonzon. There is absolutely no discrimination in the world of faith. Good friends are people who, in their respective capacities, encourage and pray for the development of one another. While traveling hand in hand along the path of eternal happiness, they invite others to join them so that they, too, may receive immeasurable benefit. Let us truly become such good friends to each other. (5/24/89)

The Nirvana Sutra states that even if we are killed by "evil elephants"—which in modern terms would correspond to automobiles, tanks, etc.—our bodies may he destroyed, but our minds will remain intact. However, if evil friends lead to our undoing, destroying both mind and body, we will fall into Hell. Therefore, we must above all fear falling under the influence of evil friends, and we should identify those who are crooked of heart and ward them off. Such persons appear as friends but function to destroy faith. Through the clever use of words, they try to persuade people to abandon their Buddhist practice. This is the nature of evil friends. Such bad friends are the greatest enemy of one's happiness and the greatest impediment to one's attaining Buddhahood.(6/18/91)

Good friends are those who encourage us in faith, strive with us to strengthen practice and study and work with us in harmony to advance kosen-rufu. The Soka Gakkai is the fore-most gathering of good friends. (6/18/91)

Good friends base themselves on the law. Therefore, we base ourselves on the Gohonzon and on the Gosho. Evil friends are self-centered and egoistic. For these reasons, such people will speak and act differently, depending on the situation. As the Lotus Sutra and the Gosho make clear, it is only natural that the further kosen-rufu advances in any country; the more numerous will be the evil friends who appear. By seeing through the disguises of such individuals and defeating them, you will be able to open up a vast, cheerful, sunny green field of happiness for all members. (6/18/91)

Good friends in faith essentially are sincere, honest people without a trace of deceit who guide others toward the correct path, toward good. They are also people who lend their assistance or support to us so that we can practice the True Law with assurance. If you become close to a person who makes you feel "that person is always glowing and animated" or "when I'm with that person I feel strong and secure;' then your faith will naturally deepen and you will develop bountiful wisdom. In carrying out this Buddhist practice, encountering good friends is the key to achieving Buddhahood.(7/28/91)

Our lives are determined by the relationships we form. And the SGI is a cluster of relationships of the very best kind. In a society pervaded with cruel relationships, where many people delight in others' misfortunes, we find the greatest solidarity and peace of mind with our fellow members. We have to resolutely protect the noble gathering of SGI members. (8/21/96)

DAISAKU IKEDA


Some practical ideas on how to cultivate good friends in faith:

Good friends in Faith are eternal treasures of the heart. And the beauty of it all is this: If you don't have good friends in faith you can chant to have them. Put "make friends with people who inspire me and encourage me in my practice" on your list and take action to make it happen. Look for people who inspire you. Take the opportunity to chat with them. Take some time after SGI meetings to get to know people, and get there early if you can. Ask if you can help out. 
If you see a person give an experience that inspires you, reach out to them and express your appreciation. Set up a time to chant with them. 

Let me illustrate through a story. 

Years ago I saw a woman give her experience at New Year's Gongyo. She was on fire with Daimoku. She had overcome cancer that year and looked younger than she did when I first met her many years before. I was inspired! I made a goal to rekindle our friendship. Over the next few months I saw her at meetings, and asked her to join me for coffee after a meeting. Then we started getting together to chant. I really listened to what she had to say. This blog was born from that friendship. She and I decided to chant two hours a day together, and this blog was born from that Daimoku campaign. My goal was to overcome my life-long depression and I wanted to use life to inspire others to chant and join the SGI. As many of you know I have overcome that depression. And if I can do that - YOU can do anything! 

Some other tips for making friends: "To have a good friend, you must be one." Give people a chance. Don't be so quick to criticize. And don't talk behind people's backs. Chant to be able to see good friends. And take time to call or chant with them. Encourage others to the best of your ability. Be open to being a friend!

I'm hearing from many of you who are going to their first SGI meetings, and making determinations to strengthen you practices within this remarkable organization. I look forward to posting your experiences as we inspire each other. 

Power Prayer to Root the Cause of Suffering Out of Your Life

If you've been chanting to change things in your life...if you've been chanting about relationships, your career etc...consider looking inward and chanting to change yourself. Changing your SELF - doing your human revolution is vital to your success~full practice. 

What is the process?

1. Own the problem...realize that whatever you want to change may LOOK like it is outside yourself...but its roots are within your life. That means that you cannot complain or say "WHY ME?". Really you have to own it...not BLAME yourself (or anyone else) for it...and not feel guilty about it. 

2. Turn your prayer INWARD. Chant to change YOURSELF. Chant to have the courage to make the changes you need to make in order to generate the results you want to create in your life. Remember that all change starts from within. And your environment will change to reflect the inner changes you have made. 

3. Take action to encourage others. Lighting a lantern for another lights your own way. 

A Power Prayer to accomplish this could be:

"I am determined to make any changes I need to make in my thoughts, my actions, my chanting, to make continual positive causes that will result in rooting the cause of my negative karma OUT OF MY LIFE!  I am determined to make the changes inside myself...to do my own human revolution and raise my life condition to see the world through the eyes of the Buddha. I am determined to change in any way I need to change to accomplish________________ (you fill in the blank). Life! I am bringing the determination, wisdom and fire I need to create the life of my dreams. I AM NAM MYOHO RENGE KYO! I AM ROARING LIKE A LION IN MY OWN LIFE! I WILL CREATE MY LIFE! I do this not only for me, but for everyone who is suffering. I am determined to glow within my own life. I am determined to be a shining light for all who are suffering. I am determined to be the beacon of hope that ANYONE can solve their problems by chanting Nam Myoho Renge Kyo. I am ready to meet people who are ready to hear about this practice!  I chant to have the most inspiring life. Gohonzon (my life) I need to see these results now!"

You can do this...You Buddha YOU!

In Faith in Action Daisaku Ikeda states: 
Our sincere prayers for kosen-rufu reach the Gohonzon on a profound level, thereby activating the protective functions of the Buddhist Gods. In the long-range view, a sincere and honest person is alway a victor. No matter how circumdtnces may change, no one can take away the truth in others' hearts. Page 163

"Become Like the Sun"

"Become like the sun. 
If you do so, all darkness will be dispelled. 
No matter what happens, 
live confidently 
with the conviction that you, yourself are the “sun.” 
Of course, in life there are sunny days and cloudy days. 
But even on cloudy days, the sun is still there. 
Even when you are suffering, 
it is vital that you strive to keep the sun shining brightly in your heart." 

Daisaku Ikeda

The Buddha's Birthday - Celebrate by Realizing YOU are the Buddha and Praising Your Life

The message of the original Buddha is simple. 
We are all Buddhas. 
We are ALL connected to the all. 
We are ALL expressions of the universe, 
and we all have access right within our reach by chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, or the name of the rhythm that exists within everything. Everything. (For notes on why I chose this picture see below)

Daisaku Ikeda puts it succinctly, as always:

"The air around us is filled with radio waves of various frequencies. While these are invisible, a television set can collect them and turn them into visible images. The practice of chanting daimoku to the Gohonzon aligns the rhythm of our own lives with the world of Buddhahood in the universe. It "tunes" our lives, so to speak, so that we can manifest the power of Buddhahood in our very beings." Faith in Action page 118. 

"The Daishonin taught us that through gongyo and chanting daimoku we can reach an elevated state in which, while engaged in our daily lives, we travel throughout the entire universe. When you worship the Gohonzon, the door to your microcosm is opened to the entire universe, the macrocosm, and you experience a great, boundless joy as if you were looking out over the entire cosmos. You feel great satisfaction and joy, a great wisdom, as if you held the entire universe in your palm." Faith in Action page 118-119

We DO hold the universe in the palm of our hand through chanting. 

The picture I posted here is very intriguing. I have never put a picture of the Buddha on chantforhappiness before. Nichiren Buddhists do not keep statues of the Buddha, because those statues came into use when people began thinking of the Buddha as a god. And that is not the intent of the Buddha. He never wanted people to worship him. He was enlightened to the fact that he was the universe, and so is everyone else. Yet, some pray TO him, confusing his original intent. But this picture I thought was pretty cool. It shows how we keep the negative forces at bay by engaging in our daily practice. It shows the bubble of shoten zenjin who protect practitioners of the mystic law. 

Today when I was chanting about you and composing my message for you, I was chanting to PRAISE MY LIFE. I am the Buddha...just like YOU. My power prayer for you is simple today. Chant to praise your life. What a great prayer...and as you're chanting think of all your reasons to be grateful. Your time of chanting will fly, and you may chant more than ever. See how much joy you can muster with every syllable. 

Strength is Happiness

"Strength is happiness. 
Strength is itself victory. 
In weakness and cowardice there is no happiness. 
When you wage a struggle, 
you might win or you might lose. 
But regardless of the short-term outcome, 
the very fact of your continuing to struggle 
is proof of your victory as a human being. 
A strong spirit, strong faith and strong prayer—
developing these is victory and the world of Buddhahood." 

Daisaku Ikeda

Power Prayer to WIN over Sadness

I received this question this morning. 

And I know the answer through my own life experience. 

Dear Jamie  

Why do old negative feelings surface after I chant? I was emotionally abused in my marriage. I decided to divorce over two years ago. However I don't feel so sad about the divorce, I feel more sadness from the abuse.

The chanting brings these hurt feelings to the surface. I know that I need to keep on chanting. But how come it works this way?

Signed, 

Sincere Seeking Mind

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dear Sincere Seeking Mind, 

Great question. 

When I started this blog in 2009 I was in the throes of deep sadness. I had experienced a heartache, it is true, but I knew there was a deeper cause, what we call "fundamental darkness". Chanting brought these feelings to the surface ~ so I could change them once and for all.  

When we chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo (the rhythm of life itself - literally "I fuse my life with the mystic law of cause and effect through sound vibration"), we reach a level of our lives that is very deep. And through the vibration of this chant, and our strong determination, we can change life-long tendencies, i.e. karma, forever. 

We can use our negative emotions as fuel to create a level of strength and happiness that NOTHING can shake. This "Absolute Happiness" is the goal of our practice of Practical Buddhism. 

Through chanting twice a day - every day, I was able to understand and conquer the sadness forever. I received this wise guidance in the early days of my practice: "Nothing can come out of you that wasn't already in your life. No anger, no sadness, nothing can come out that wasn't there. We may think it is in response to our environment, a man, a relationship, abuse etc. But in reality that emotion is WITHIN our lives and may have been within our lives for many lifetimes. Since we have chosen to be Bodhisattvas of the Earth this lifetime, and we chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo we can finally vanquish these feeling once and for all in this lifetime." 

I knew in my heart that the sadness I was experiencing, was  a deep sadness that I had felt on an off all of my life. Throughout my life I'd seen my mother experiencing it, too. 

I embraced it as my karmic mission to overcome it and turn it into a benefit. 

Daisaku Ikeda says:

"There is no suffering or hardship that a Boddhisatva of the Earth cannot surmount. So no matter what happens, I would like you to steadily advance, one step at a time, always chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo with vibrant voices." Faith in Action page 93.

He also says:

"Nichiren Daishonin writes, "If you light a lantern for another, it will also brighten your own way" (Gosho Zenshu, p. 1598). Please be confident that the higher your flame of altruistic action burns, the more its light will suffuse your life with happiness. Those who possess an altruistic spirit are the happiest people of all" (Faith in Action pages 93-94). 

And, of course, I remembered the immortal line I ingrained in my life from the Nichiren Daishonin's Gosho Letter from Sado. (I sincerely encourage all of us to study the Gosho with our lives. The Daishonin wrote this letter during his exile on Sado Island knowing that this exile was proof of the correctness of his teaching. If you don't have the Gosho, please go to the link to the SGI to the right and get it right away. Studying the Gosho is truly "A Ship to Cross the Sea of Suffering") 

"Only by defeating a powerful enemy can one prove his real strength." (Letter from Sado)

I saw my sadness as a "great enemy", one that had been shadowing me forever. And I made a sincere dertermination to change it once and for all, for myself and for seven generations in the past and seven generations in the future, and for everyone whose lives I could touch through my blog and my life. 

That emotion, that karma, was the FUEL for this blog that now is read by almost 20,000 people a month. I fueled my determination with a two-hour a day daimoku campaign. 

I determined that "I must overcome this suffering so that I can encourage others that ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE and they can change ANYTHING if I can do this...because changing a deep seated karmic emotion IS impossible. And we chant to make the impossible possible. Anyone can change the possible things. But by embracing the Daishonin's Buddhism and practicing within the SGI we can make the impossible possible. 

Here is the determination and deep Power Prayer I embraced and chanted every day:

"Life! Gohonzon! I am determined to be happy. I am determined to root the cause of this suffering, this depression, this emotion out of my lilfe forever. I vow to be happy so that I can lead others to happiness. Through my own example I will inspire others that anything is possible."

Now, this feeling did not go away the first time I chanted this way, or the second or the third. No. This was a fierce battle that continued on for quite some time, but based on President Ikeda's guidance I was determined to win. "Buddhism is win or lose" he says over and over. This was a battle with my life. My dear friend and mentor, shom I called in tears over and over asking "Will I ever get over this sadness?" gave me her own prayer that had vanquished her life-long feeling of depression and resignation:

"I don't CARE how many times I have to chant to rid my life of this depression! I DON''T CARE how many hours I have to sit in front of this Gohonzon chanting. I will WIN over this fundamental darkness. I will win! You don't scare me! I will win!" 

And I embraced this prayer and made a fresh determination every day that I would win this battle, and win it I did. 

I AM FREE. I no longer feel this feeling. It is gone forever. I used all the tools available to me as a Boddhisattva of the Earth. I chanted, studied, spent my time encouraging others, and consulted my dear Myoho sister, friend in the SGI. And I won. You can too. It takes work and determination, but being "A Buddha of Absolute Freedom" is worth it! 

 To your VICTORY!

Jamie 

You Are the Buddha - Create a Powerful Practice

To create a Powerful Buddhist practice and a powerful life, remember that you are not chanting to something outside your life....you are chanting to your very life itself...
and the life of the entire universe.  

Through chanting Daimoku 
you have the keys to access the power of the universe. There is no need to beg. 

There is a need to VOW, and DETERMINE...and to clearly tell your life that you want results from your chanting NOW!!!

That's the power of chanting Daimoku. And please, do not chant under your breath! Chant as if you mean it! You are speaking to the universe...be strong. Take deep breaths, remember to breathe. Breathe from your belly...feel the energy surging through your body. SIT UP STRAIGHT! Be STRONG! You're chanting! 

Chant strongly. Chant twice a day. Attend meetings. Study and teach others to the best of your ability. THAT is the formula for absolute happiness. If you're not happy strengthen your practice. You are the only one who can do this. 

I received a question about doing Gongyo. (Reciting from the Lotus Sutra)

When you do Gongyo you are speaking the Buddha's words. 

YOU ARE THE BUDDHA. I believe that is the purpose of doing gongyo...and it puts you in rhythm. It is very important, and once you know how to do it...it's fun. 

Do Gongyo and Daimoku every single day - twice a day...and make your list of what you want...and go for it! Take action! You can't just chant, you must also take action. Buddhism is common sense. 

Make sure you are connecting to the SGI. It is the best way to become strong and happy! Go to the link at the right to get connected. Write me at chantforhappiness@gmail.com if you have any questions or to share your experiences.