Some people struggle with becoming consistent with their practice. This is not unusual, particularly when you are new. But, if you want real benefit or a big boost towards achieving your goals, then locking in consistency is important.
Scientists have said that the earth exists in a Goldilocks zone. That means that everything is perfectly maintained for life to exist. The temperatures stay within a certain range so life can survive. There is enough water. But for life to thrive, our earth mother must be consistent. Can you imagine what would happen if our earth cycles became erratic?
If we want our lives to grow we have to provide an environment for growth, just as the earth must provide the environment for life. When you chant consistently, you create the environment needed for your life to grow.
If the earth became erratic, our lives would be enveloped in chaos. That chaos happens in our lives when we are all over the map, chanting, quitting for a while, and then starting again. When you chant consistently, your life takes a strong upward path. But when you are inconsistent, you allow yourself to fall backward and you’ll get the inconsistent benefits.
How to Become Consistent
1. Set a strong determination that you are fed up with the way your life has been and you are going to change it.
2. Chant to be willing to become consistent.
3. Tie your chanting time to another activity, such as eating breakfast. Establish the habit of chanting right after you eat breakfast every day.
4. Set a goal that you are going to chant once a day. Then hold yourself to it. If you suddenly remember you forgot, don’t let yourself go to bed until you have chanted at least five minutes.
5. When you wake up[ late, chant at least three Nam-myoho-renge-kyos before you go out the door. If you feel like skipping, challenge yourself to chant just a little. Don’t let your negative side win that small battle.
6. Keep on keeping on. If you forget, don’t be discouraged. Just pick yourself up and start over. Be gentle with yourself. Learning a new habit takes time.
7. Make yourself accountable to another person, if necessary. Have them remind you and then report back to them when you have chanted. Discuss any issues which are preventing you from chanting.
8. Attend meetings. You will be reminded of why you practice and encouraged by experiences.
9. Read a paragraph out of something Buddhist, every day. It’s another habit, but you will find that even small amounts of study add up over time, so you develop more understanding of what you are doing. I would recommend Buddhism Day by day,
or For Today and Tomorrow, Daily Encouragement book. As you can see these are my well thumbed books.
Congratulations
Congratulations for taking on the challenge. Establishing consistency in practice is the first step of your human revolution .  Congratulations, your decision and follow through will allow your life to begin to fly
Thank You for your practical encouragement Margaret. Much appreciation.
The thing is I was chanting consistently, every day since summer ,2015 and have not seen benefits. I live in an area without group so could not attend meetings but I did gongyo twice a day and chanted for 10-15 minutes, intently and earnestly. I was also studying utilizing the SGI site. Yet I have not seen benefits and the goal I wanted has not been achieved. I clarified and wote down the goal I wanted to achieved but to date have been without success. So what have I been doing incorrectly? If consistency was not the issue why was?
Hi Kendra,
I’m glad you have established consistency. Now, are you taking action towards your goal? That is the other part. You will find a number of posts under goals on my blog which will give you some ideas on how to formulate a goal. You need to envision it exactly as you want it, and be specific. Also set a time limit, by when it will be accomplished. Take a look at my post on 8/16/16 for more on setting goals.
have you gone to contact us on http://www.sgi-usa website. They will give you the person closest to you. If you possibly can, get in contact with a group even if only by phone.
Hope this helps.
Margaret
Margaret
Hi Margaret I submitted a comment that you have not posted. If you tried to email me, my email is not working. I am authentic and really seeking answers as to why I have been chanting & not receiving any benefit. I cannot find an STI organization in my area so I have gone online to seek answers. What am I doing incorrectly. I started last summer and stopping chanting in ?June ’cause I had not received benefit. I have been studying etc. I learned to chant from youtube. Would really appreciate some asdistance
Hi Chantal,
Have you been taking action towards your goal? This is the other 50% of the equation. The universe can work through us unless we take action. On 8/14/16, I am writing a post on how to formulate goals. I think you will find it useful. You also might look under goals on my blog as I have a number to posts on this topic. The practice absolutely works but not always in the time frame we want it to. Keeping chanting until you achieve your goal. Sometimes we have growing to do before it can be accomplished.
Margaret