I don’t think we recognize what we are at our core. We say we have a Buddha nature, which possesses wisdom, vitality, compassion and absolute happiness. But what is the Buddha nature, really? President Toda’s realization in prison, was that that Buddha nature is life itself. Buddha Nature is Life, Our Unlimited Higher Self Life […]
Let’s say you’ve set a goal for a new house. You’ve begun to chant about it. Do you find your thinking going like this? I want a new house. I doubt I can get it. I want a new house but I don’t think I can afford it. I want a new house in this […]
As a Nichiren Buddhist, you hear that you should chant for what you want. But what if you have a fear, or feel threatened by something. Shouldn’t you chant for what you want to change? The answer is no, not if you are looking at the problem. Think about it carefully. If you are holding […]
I received an email with this question. I try to focus properly but my mind goes to my fears. What should I do?” Since we all have fears from time to time, this is an important question. President Ikeda points out that there is nothing wrong with having an active mind while chanting. That that […]
In one meeting where members were discussing goals, a member from Kansai spoke up. “We don’t set goals like this in Kansai.” The group turned to look at him. They knew that Kansai was a province in Japan where there had been an enormous success with an impossible goal. The Kansai member continued, “The way […]
We have to handle our minds a certain way when trying to bring a goal to fruition. In this post I am going to discuss the way to do this. Connecting With Formless, Energetic Potential When we chant we are told we tap our Buddha nature, our connection with the universe. So what are we […]
When deadlocked, we are in a struggle between negative and positive forces. We don’t see the path forward: we feel up against a wall. It is then that our faith is put to the test. Are we going to succumb to negativity, doubt our Buddha nature, and give up? Or, are we going to seize […]
When overwhelmed, too busy or in crisis, the temptation might be to chant less because of time constraints You think,”I’m so busy I don’t have time.” The net effect of this is to push the practice to the periphery of your life rather than keeping it in the center. when we do this, we’ve pulled […]
Believe it or not, chanting with faith produces more benefit than trying to control the process. What Does Control Look Like? When we strategize we are attempting to control the process by thinking through different probable paths to the goal. When we try to control the process this way, we are, in essence, saying that […]
When you are chanting for a goal, are you chanting with great intensity trying to force it to happen? Or are you chanting with faith that once you set the goal the universe will provide the path to achieving it? What does Trying to Force a Goal Look Like? When a person tries to force […]