We hear a lot about gratitude at this time of year. So does gratitude have a part in transforming our lives? There was a study published by the Greater Good Science Center at UC Berkley. Nearly 300 college students seeking mental health counseling were randomly assigned to one of three groups. The first group […]
When you chant for a goal you hope to achieve it quickly, but obstacles or one sort or another usually appear. This is when we engage in a spiritual struggle, one which we wage in our hearts and minds. Fundamental Enlightenment and Fundamental Darkness At the core of our lives exist two opposing forces. […]
Download transcript: Faith in the Gohonzon Recently I received a question, “Please explain our connection with the Gohonzon and why it’s important to have faith in the Gohonzon. What exactly does the Gohonson mean?. This is an important question as it goes right to the heart of our practice. Gohonzon means object of […]
Have you ever asked yourself, why practice a religion? Does your religion address your everyday problems? In this post I’m going to look at Clark Strand’s book Waking the Buddha, which will introduce you to a whole new view of what a religion can be, as practiced by the lay organization of Nichiren Buddhism, the […]
When, day after day you chant Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo as taught by Nichiren Daishonin the founder of this practice, you tap the cosmic level of life within you called your Buddha Nature. As you chant you will grow and develop in every aspect of your life. The end result of daily practice is a full unfolding of […]
Have you wanted to be a creative person? Have you found to your surprise that you are resistant to beginning your work? Have you faced your computer or your easel and drawn a blank, not knowing what to put on the page or the paper? Have you found yourself avoiding working? You are not alone. […]
How Do We Want To Live? It seems as though profit has become the dominant value in the U.S. to the exclusion of the needs and dignity of workers for a living wage, health insurance and security. Serving the stockholder has become top priority and the quality of life for many has deteriorated as a […]
Learning to Trust the Wisdom Within Post#2 By Margaret Blaine, The Practical Buddhist Usually when you start to practice you don’t yet believe you have a Buddha nature within, a deeper source of wisdom, courage and happiness. In the past you have relied on your intellectual understanding. Experience teaches all of us that sometimes […]
Do you have an obstacle, or more than one, which is keeping you from moving forward in your life? We all have these at different times in our lives. What can you do to overcome an obstacle? Probably in the past you thought that the problem was due to something outside of yourself, another person, […]
Nichiren Buddhism is practical. It exists to allow you to turn your life from negativity and unhappiness to redirect it towards unshakeable happiness or Enlightenment. The Lotus Flower in Buddhism is a symbol of this process. As you can see it is rooted the murky waters of a pond. That water represents the daily life […]