Victories pouring through my attitude towards my Buddhist altar

Importance of Buddhist Altar

Talking about faith with others

In the midst of my challenges over years, i have been told that i should share this practice with others. I have heard these words again and again while i struggled to reach my goals of bringing friends to meetings. It is not easy despite of me talking about practice with people every day. I have always been open about my practice as i have seen my own life transformed over years. I have even talked about practice in visa office or post office or during my trips in public transport. 

I always told myself that most important is, i put seeds of this practice in others life till they encounter it again and practice. Though deep down i always craved to do more than putting seeds. Till...

January 2017 brought new challenges and it involved people asking me about practice on their own. Despite me being a real proof at my work place and people calling me Buddha or psychologist just for having a voice and actions of Buddha, but they always found excuses to never show up to my invitations for meetings. I started chanting harder that people will come to me on their own and they will be responsive. They all loved listening about philosophy from me and they would ask me more yet they will always tight schedules or so on. Eventually, i successfully turned around situation with my support in darkness moment of someone´s life,  and she came to meeting and even chanted continuously. Eventually with tremendous benefits within a span of 2 weeks she won over her situation and left practice as life was beautiful again. On the other hand, a dear friend of mine was fascinated by my passion and dedication for practice and she showed interest in practice. I decided to join her to a nearest meeting in her city. She truly cherished the experience in fact shared it with her fiancee as well. She continued her practice till date though she hasn´t been able to attend all the meetings but she goes once in a while.

This journey has been a period of self-reflection for myself and an on going process of human revolution. Initially i got pissed off with the fact that the person who had so many benefits that how she can just vanish away from the practice and become unresponsive to my messages for coming to meetings. I clearly took it personally as i realized that i expect people to practice as sincerely as i am doing it. On the other hand, my friend as she has been so consistent with it despite of not being able to meetings, i have been patient with her and i respected her journey to grow in faith at her own pace. But then what was it that i lacked or do more to help my first shakubuku in this case. The more and more i chanted, more i encountered sensei´s guidance on believing in potential of the other. There i was, sat with a moment of shock. I knew i didn´t believe in her potential to become Buddha. Suddenly, it all made sense to me. When we try to introduce people with our faith and to soka gakkai, it is not only about introducing them or knowing that even they can become happy. There is so much more to it, it is about believing in the capability or potential of this person to be Buddha. From that moment on wards, i got more conscious of my thoughts, words and actions towards people. I knew i have to become more patient and let them grow on their own pace. Recently, this person showed up for another meeting even though it was for only last 10 minutes but my sense of joy had no bounds. I was very appreciative that she made an effort and i continue to believe in her till she comes to another meeting. After all, how i am with her and my warmth is a symbol of how soka gakkai is. On the other hand, i continue to work on putting more and more seeds day by day, some times i pass on NMRK cards or some times i just talk about my journey of last 6 years. 

** Shakubuku is not about numbers, it is about how much we put in other life including trust, effort and so much more. 

I chose to invest all i have in the person in front of me and let it be my only mission. 

Happy chanting 

My new recipe to unfold victories even after years of deadlock

Here I am, sitting by my window, my favorite thinking spot and self-reflection time. I tightly hold onto my coffee mug with a sight of perfect sunset. I am all set to get down to reality and open about my biggest challenge. I would like you to make your tea or coffee, find your reading corner and sit down with me for next few minutes. This is going to be a ground breaking experience on my behalf. It has the power to unleash many victories for you as well in coming days. As I am about to give you an answer to why some of us are feeling stuck and others are having crystal clear victories…why?

I have always believed in enjoying the journey of human revolution and the path of unseen virtues leading to visible rewards as explained in Gosho (WND-1, 940). Victories will come and we will cherish them for barely few seconds and another strike of now what will happen. I have tried been an active YWD irrespective of my land of mission, language or cultural differences. I have been a very active byakuren in past 2 years and soon I will be graduating in coming months. From a shy byakuren without knowing Spanish, fear of dealing with technical stuff, today I am come far enough to deal with every challenge I face during activities. I have not only opened the door of Buddhist centre for newbies, visitors and especially contributed as a language translator for new members. Apart for this, late night meetings with fellow members due to our shared struggle on not having any time during day has been a great function throughout. I have seen people grow, won and do their human revolution. What I lacked to see was my own victories in terms of a clear real proof. I have heard endless experiences and people receiving gohonzon with my eyes filled with tears of joy. Yet, one question always haunted me, ¨What is it that I am not doing right? ¨ I went for multiple guidance with pioneers of gakkai here and later even in Germany. I raised same question again and again, ¨Same daimoku, same practice, more efforts yet I haven´t seen a breakthrough, please guide me where am I going wrong? ¨ ¨Why am I unable to change this impossible into possible? ¨ Answer: persevere, don’t be too harsh on yourself, you are putting too much pressure on yourself. I was told the same thing twice from two different leaders in two countries.

I had no clue what they meant by it, though I continued with my efforts without regressing even a bit. The only thing that kept me going was ¨you will see¨, words of a pioneer during one of those guidance. Every time I felt discouraged, I focused on these words.

Enlightenment:

It happened finally after 6 years of practice I was awaken and I found the big answer to my question. I have been begrudging my life without even realizing it. During one of the usual Buddhist discussion dinner, someone was talking about the gosho ¨14 slanders¨. At first I was taken aback as I feel the word ^Slander^ is very strong and personally I don’t like to use it at all. Yet I loved the discussion so took another step towards reading it for myself. As soon as I started reading it, I found a lecture on this particular gosho given in SGI UK. And there I was, awestruck of my own moment of enlightenment. In that moment, I know how I am too harsh on myself, I was begrudging my life. Believe it or not, suddenly every YWD, WD or even YMD anyone who has ever talked to me in their tough time, they all have been committing same error. We all begrudge our life just by comparing our own growth or victories by victories of others.

Let me break it down for us, I haven´t had that much fortune in getting sufficient results or conferences in 3 n half years like other PhD students did. I have been putting myself down because others had more results or oral presentations at international conferences. I forgot to appreciate, I have my mission and each obstacle I face right now or set back is actually my training for my big future. My efforts in gakkai are never going to waste likely said, not a single Nam-myoho-renge-kyo ever goes to waste. Similarly, my efforts will manifest on its own right time. It is exactly like the words told to me by my senior, ¨You will see¨. I never doubted these words.

To my surprise, on immediate understanding of my cause (comparing my life with others, is nothing but me begrudging my life. This is how I have been begrudging my Buddhahood, obviously I was suffering deep down due to later. Fast forward to present, here I am so much at peace with my life, I even got an invitation for an oral presentation last week. Also, suddenly my voice of Buddha and my heart of Buddha has been reaching out to many new people. I have become more empathetic with fellow YWDs and trying to make their victories as my own mission. The anxiety of what will happen might put me down at times though my heart only whispers ¨you will see, Priya¨.

Take home message:

No more comparison with fellow friends, or measuring my worth on a barometer set by society.

Comparison with anyone means we are putting ourselves down.

Comparison means we are begrudging our life.

Appreciation means victories, comparison means low life and delay in our happiness and victories

Buddha only knows appreciation, and advancing in our life.

Happy chanting 

What is faith?

I sat by my window, sipping on my coffee and looking at the world. While my heart and mind were just having an internal clash. I might have done my morning chanting for an hour yet i lacked hope. I could feel how i just wanted to sit by window whole day, doing nothing. My mind wandered from one thought to another till i hung by a question. Do i have faith? If yes then why don´t enjoy chanting or why i am unable to have a break through. Once i started thinking in this loop, there was no stopping. I immediately shake it off and go back to my room and took up gosho with intention to find what is faith? 

There i was jumping from one gosho to another with whole gosho marked with different colored markers. Suddenly, i asked myself; what am i doing? And at the back of mind, i was putting action. 

So there i was, Dammit Priya there is no definition of faith. Then, what is faith and how do i reach my goals...

Faith is action.

Faith is chanting whether i feel good or bad.

Faith is going to meeting even though my mind give 100 excuses for not going.

Faith is when i wake up and my first priority is to pick my coffee mug and sit down for chanting.

Faith is after 16 hour of long day, i reach home feeling dead tired yet i sit down do my evening gongyo before i can drift off to sleep.

Faith is when i choose to practice despite seeing any visible change in my situation.

Faith is not giving up.

Faith is not doubting each day why i am chanting.

Faith is letting it flow and enjoy my journey till i reach my goals.

Faith is reaching my goal but going back home for gratitude daimoku.

Faith is sharing this joy with rest of the world.

Faith is ACTION.

Do you have faith? Yes, you do. Even though you might be stuck and having irregular practice but reaching out to a leader. Even though you haven´t practiced in days, weeks or months but you go back to a leader or fellow member. Even though you return with a dozen of excuses, complaints and what not. But reaching out is a sign of having faith. You have faith and you have the hope, otherwise why would you even care to go back. 

Yes, faith is nothing but putting our practice in action.

Do you have faith?

We have same practice like you do.

We have same gohonzon like you do.

We have same daimoku like you do.

Then when the problem comes;

Why do some of you choose to call and talk?

Why do some of you choose to beg for daimoku?

Why do some of you choose to suffer and make others suffer with you?

A ground breaking point in my practice was when I understood meaning of independent faith and PRACTICE TOGETHER.

We encourage members to meet other members. But we encourage for practicing together not crying together. We don´t say ¨talk¨ rather we say STUDY TOGETHER. 

We encourage you to win together and strive together. We don´t encourage you to call and talk every time a bomb falls on you. 

We encourage you to take guidance and may be take support of members. We don´t encourage you to get clingy or start begging for daimoku.

Now once again i ask you, do you have faith? If you said yes but you are acting otherwise (doing things we don´t encourage), then i would have to ask you again. Do you have faith?

I have faith means; i will go to gohonzon when problem or victory comes. I will put more daimoku rather then begging for daimoku. I might be in tough moment but i will work on pillars of faith, practice and study. If i feel lost, i will seek guidance not to complain practice rather to have a clear direction on how to proceed. 

Yes, you can call each other and may be share your problem. BUT don´t use this person as a way to vent out. Learn to grow in faith, support each other by reading sensei´s guidance or gosho together. Focus on advancing not on talking in circles filled with complains or excuses. 

Now, DO YOU HAVE FAITH? YES. 

What will you do when problem comes? I will chant, study and act. If i feel like giving up, I will reach out for guidance and practice more with fellow members. 

Mind it! Practice together - daimoku, study and soka gakkai activities.

One secret for making impossible to possible

Yesterday was a groundbreaking day for self reflection, shaking my resurfaced karma with Gakkai members and so much more.

I have been putting a huge amount of effort in taking care of my place where i put my Butdusan and things like printing NMRK cards, ordering extra liturgy books to give away to new members and so on.

Without losing any time, here goes my ground breaking realization:

If we go full force for working for the law of cause and effect then life will naturally start falling in place. Challenges will come and we will overcome then too. So the only truth is,

¨Our tendency is to live life and practice to make life work BUT the secret is, Live the practice
and rest all will workout. ¨

Last weeks, my only priority was to attend every meeting i had every single day whether daimoku at 9:30 pm or reaching center for byakuren or supporting a fellow member with one message or phone call. Result, i was more productive at work and things started shaping up on their own. Yes i worked, i put my actions yet it worked out as my priority is my practice.

By default, we put our practice either as a last priority saying if i have time i will chant or go for a meeting. We put everything first and buddhism last. But that´s the reason we have doubts or we fall often. Buddhism is a 24 x 7 practice, if we live it as our only priority then rest of the priorities like life, health, fiance or career will naturally fall in place.

Give it a try and experience what you haven´t experienced yet.

Happy chanting