I had a question this week about whether we can chant for something that goes beyond our personal wants. Of course you can. You can chant about anything you want and need to chant about.
I think the reason people chant for their personal wants is because they are immediate and close and it is easier to see if you are getting results. But there is nothing that says you can’t chant for anything that is important to you. Think of Daisaku Ikeda, who is chanting for the health and happiness of the members every day and for kosen-rufu across the world.
Daisku Ikeda points out, “You are free to chant for whatever you wish. It’s all up to you.” FIA 154
Will Chanting Change Someone Else?
A number of questions have come up recently about how to chant to change other people.
It’s important to remember that the Gohonzon changes the person who is chanting. When that person changes, then then the environment will change in coordination with the concept of oneness of self and the environment and the law of cause and effect.
Satoru Izumi, a former leader famous for his effective guidance, tells a story of a young woman who was complaining about her mother-in-law to President Toda. She called her malicious, said she won’t change her ways and called her names. The President responded, “As young as you are, you are still unable to correct your own disposition. How then can you expect your aged mother-in-law to change hers?” He then went on to give her guidance. The woman realized that she was the problem, not her mother-in-law. When she returned home she discovered the mother-in-law’s attitude towards her had changed for the better.
When you set a seed in the core of your life through your thoughts, words or actions, then you have set the cause for an effect in the future when the time is right. In a family situation if one person changes, then the whole family re-adjusts and rebalances.
The Strength of Your Faith and Practice Matters
I know of a situation where a member was working in a company where one of the supervisors was verbally abusing the people under her. She simply didn’t know how to handle people. The member was shocked and felt that this situation wasn’t acceptable. She developed a firm determination that the situation had to change, and then for 2 hours a day she chanted about it. She even announced a little after Halloween that the situation would be handled by the end of the year. She knew then she had to produce a result. That strong determination and faith produced results. The supervisor was asked to step down and placed in a position where she wouldn’t have to supervise anyone.
If you are chanting about other people and nothing seems to be happening, it may be you have set limits on what your faith can accomplish. Ikeda says,
“It is important we offer prayers with great confidence. The powers of the Buddha and the Law are activated in direct proportion to the strength of our faith and practice.” FIA P. 151
If you have weak faith, nothing much is going to happen. Ikeda says,
“If you practice faith while doubting its effects, you will get results that are at best unsatisfactory. This is the reflection of your own weak faith on the mirror of the cosmos.” My Dear Friends in America, p. 99
I’ve had questions about chanting to change a group of people where nothing seemed to be changing. It could be that no one in that group of people wants things to be any different. This is purely my opinion, but I think it much harder to chant for other people in a group situation and demands a lot more faith and effort from the person chanting. I’d be interested in knowing what some of you think.
If you’re trying to shift something for a number of people or a difficult situation and nothing much seems to be happening, you might want to ask other people to chant with you. A group chanting with one end in mind creates a lot more power and can push a situation over the hump so it can be resolved.
Summary:
We looked at the fact that you can chant for whatever you want.
That if you want someone else to change, you will have to change yourself in accordance with oneness of self and the environment.
Finally we looked at the fact that the strength of your faith and practice matters, If strong, amazing things can happen. If weak, not much.
Finally get reinforcements if you have a difficult situation which doesn’t seem to be resolving or you need to shift a group. A group of people chanting together creates more power.
Comments:
For those who have written me, if you want a personal response please send me your email. Some of your comments, particularly written in YouTube go to noreply@youtube.com so I can’t respond. This is true of you S.K. I can always be reached at margaret@margaretblaine.com
Why Daimoku does not produce concerte results? Why one can chant for many months without ever getting a proof or benefit of the Mystical Law(Allegedly)?
How long should one insist with chanting Daimoku if he is not getting any result, benefit or proof?
Hi Everyone,
I have tried to help Andre many times over the last year but have not been successful. Does anyone have any ideas? Please respond to him.
Margaret
Hi Margaret,
Hope all is well, Checking in and I’m struggling with my practice. It seem that after I chant I’m hit with anger, confusion, self doubt and thoughts of failure. Is this part of my human revolution. That this is being revealed to me, that this is what I need to break through. I have a few things I’m pursuing going back to school and a business creating Roku channels for local businesses. I have allot a fear around it because one I don’t have the money and want pursue it so I make a good living. Right now I’m working and just scraping by which is no fun. I know NB talks about the 3 evil paths greed, anger, and foolishness. I don’t think pursuing the above is about greed it’s about making a decent living and at the same time help others with there creative projects. However I was thinking about taking out a loan for startup costs, but that would be foolish because I have a current bankruptcy that I’m paying. I’ve attempted several businesses before they either just didn’t work out, or I didn’t stay committed and there lies my dilemma, commitment, fear of failure/success. I wish that we would got back to in person meetings. Not getting much support in my neck of the woods.
Hi Andre, I have been a member of SGI for 11 years and have got great results and before and on deadlines. I have chanted for 2 hours / day or 3 sometimes.
Always chant with the attitude that the best will happen to you. This is about how your desires coming from conscious memory arise. Many years back I chanted for a job in a very big company as it was my perception that big company, good benefits, name in the market and so on but I never ever got into that company. It was my perception. However, later I got into another company which is family friendly and takes care of me. During this period I had learned that the previous company I was aiming for was laying off people. Now that’s the law’s protection.
We often perceive that this might be good goal for us. One more thing when your mind is clear and out of negative thoughts you are like a receiver of universal nudges. I got into my current company when I saw a commercial of them on television and just applied picking a random resume without even big modification. I had chanted to move out of Texas and it happened and they relocated me which was unheard during downturn. Your conscious memory always confirms your surroundings in a way “hey nothing has changed, you still have not got a job” this imprints on subconscious memory which is connected to universe. By chanting and visualization, summoning feelings you have to trick your mind that it has happened. I did this when I saw myself happy after getting a scholarship for school and I did get it. You also need to identify if you have negative attitudes like belittle someone, getting angry which I admit I had and I corrected them. Remember universe works in equilibrium so if everyone chanted for same car or house regardless of if they would be happy after getting that car it would be catastrophic. I would suggest suggest you to also read books from Susanne Matsudo on how they explain working of the law. I am an engineer by background so I always try to find a correlation. One example I will give you from relationship standpoint is that I dated a woman who was introduced to NMRK while going on a flight to her home 2 years back and she noticed Gohonzon in my house and was surprised. Sadly, we broke up but what I learnt is love yourself first at any cost. Though I am sad but it broke off but just like my job scenario how would I know now 15 years down the line that she was rightly person. One more point is that she stayed with me for this long time to tell me to “love yourself first” . If it was over in 2 weeks how wouldn’t I have learned my lesson.