Being a Buddha; Attaining Buddhahood, Chanting for World Peace! We all have heard this, discussed this and surely thought about it at some point in time in our lives.
Let me introduce you to the Buddhism of Nichiren Daishonin, a revolutionary thirteenth century Japanese sage whose teachings give a powerful insight into how life works.
This is a life changing philosophy which I encountered around 4 years ago, and it has indeed transformed my life. While I knew about it earlier and had seen my friends chanting and propagating this mystic law, they say when the time is right, you yourself will get drawn to it.
So what does this practice do to you. Isn’t it similar to meditation? Yes, partly maybe, but it is not just a philosophy; it's a way of life that empowers you to unlock your full potential and live with purpose. Through the practice of chanting Nam Myoho Renge Kyo (NMRK), this transformative philosophy has the potential to bring about positive change in not only your life but the lives of others around you.
This powerful mantra of NMRK encapsulates the essence of the Lotus Sutra, a revered Buddhist scripture. Through consistent and sincere chanting, practitioners connect with their inner wisdom and courage, fostering personal growth and resilience in the face of life's challenges.
For that, first and foremost you need to believe that you, I and everyone around us is a Buddha and this comes with the main pillar of this practice – FAITH.
When we talk about demonstrating faith, it strengthens the power within us to transform our inner lives at the deepest level.
When we apply our practice to the issues and problems we encounter in daily life, those challenges become stimuli that enable us to bring forth and manifest Buddhahood, because that is the most crucial time to display actual proof through our behaviour and actions.
Actual proof is technically stage 3 of the three proofs.
The first one is DOCUMENTARY PROOF. What it basically means is the writings and scriptures of Nichiren Daishonin.
Second one is the THEORETICAL PROOF. This means that there is a reason or logic to everything that is written.
The third and most important is ACTUAL PROOF. According to Nichiren Daishonin, that is the most crucial of all proofs. And surely that makes sense. We practice so that we can show results.
We all challenge our practice to show us actual proof...
How do we do this? By chanting with goals in mind. That is why we make a list with specific goals for ourselves and others.
There is a very interesting analogy that is given to explain the three proofs. For example, someone recommends a medicine to us – it has a list of what it contains (this is the documentary proof), how will it impact is the theoretical proof, and the actual effect on the person is the actual proof of that medicine, which if taken regularly surely shows good results.
Same with our practice. Chanting Nam Myoho Renge Kyo, praying to the Gohonzon, the object of devotion, manifests in us the wisdom, courage and compassion to take the right action based on that inner transformation.
So wholeheartedly chant for whatever you wish for yourself or others and I promise you no prayer goes unanswered…but do not forget to show gratitude to the universe once you have received it.
Comments