The Secret to Winning Over Negative Temptations

Can a religion that doesn’t have rules and commandments keep practitioners on the straight and narrow?

The purpose of Buddhism is to make people free in the most profound sense; its purpose is not to restrict and constrain. This means that in Nichiren Buddhsim as practiced in the SGI, the worldwide lay organization, there are no rules, no commandments.

Don’t you need rules so that people will not commit bad behavior?

When you think about it, have outside rules ever stopped people from behaving badly? They are certainly guides to indicate what kind of behaviors lead to suffering. But, if someone wants something enough, they will just go around the rules. What you hope to establish is an internal state of life which naturally enables you choose to do the right thing when faced with a choice.

In Nichiren Buddhism, you are taught a chanting practice, Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. When you chant you connect with the enlightened core of your life, your Buddha Nature. When you tap into that enlightened level of life on a daily basis, your life naturally becomes progressive and grows in the direction of a more positive state of life. Then you have the tendency to select positive behavior, when faced with a choice.

Buddhism also teaches the principle of cause and effect and how it works in your life. It reinforces positive choices. I will discuss this in another post.

How does Buddhism explain the evil and negativity in the world?

Buddhism doesn’t deny the negative side exists: we all have the potentials of both good and evil. But Buddhism teaches that the center of your life is the universal level, your higher self. The dark side surfaces when you are disconnected from your enlightened nature. All negativity, all dark behavior, comes from this essential ignorance, doubt and disbelief.

When you are disconnected, then you believe that the ways of the world are the only way, that you have to use negative methods to get what you want. You see this every day in the newspapers, from the negative attack ads in elections, to people undercutting human rights, exploiting people for money, torturing them, fighting wars, all done to establish themselves and gain money and power.

Tap into That Universal Energy to Solve Problems

When you chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, you discover a way to connect with that universal energy that exists within you to meet these daily life challenges. Then you can use the deep wisdom in that universal connection to handle life’s challenges and problems successfully. You also optimize your life force so you have the energy to achieve your goals and become happy.
Since the battle between positive and negative forces exists within our lives, having the boost from chanting allows us to remain on the positive side when having to make a choice between one or the other.

Do You Really believe a chanting practice can make this kind of difference?

Yes, I do. I’ve seen it over and over. I know it’s very foreign to our western culture and thinking. Talking about it is not enough. You need to chant and have the experience of what happens in your life to see how it works.
I would challenge you to try it for ninety days and see what you think. In Nichiren Buddhism you can expect you to see your life change and move forward in a positive direction within that 90 day period. Prove it to yourself

  • Wayne Otter says:

    Hi Margaret, thank you for producing such a wonderful site and excellent book . I just wondered could you explain HOW the words Nam Myoho Renge Kyo when chanted , Tap into our innate Buddha Nature ?, how does this process work and surely If a person really believed in the power of a set of words whatever they may be, surely it is that faith that has the power and Not the words in themselves? , I am confident that you will be able to help me with this significant stumbling block as your writing is so insightful. Please help!

    Thank you
    Wayne

    • Margaret Blaine says:

      You know I don’t think anyone knows how it works. It is not intellectual but rather an experience. I know that when I sit in front of the Gohonzon it feels as though I am plugging into something bigger, and then ideas and thoughts come from a deeper wisdom. One person who was encountering construction challenges says he felt as though he plugged into a library and got excellent answers he wouldn’t have thought of himself. This is how I have written my books. I start chanting with the topic in mind and ideas start flowing. How do the rest of you experience this?

      • Wayne says:

        Thank you so much Margaret, As I have been practicing now for a few years I am beginnng to understand that this is clearly not an intellectual process, rather a revealing of a wider filed of consciouusness. Thank you , such a great site ,
        Wayne 🙂

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