HARMONY - Apr 2012

Special Feature: Women of Strength

Thank you for reading Harmony! Our aim is to bring you a publication with enriching articles and moving experiences that will help to support and deepen your understanding and practice of Nichiren Buddhism.  This is a fantastic philosophy of life and religion, one that truly benefits anyone willing to try.

It is very simple, just chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. Simple, yet very profound.  Chanting enriches our life and by doing so we become truly happy.

With that spirit in mind, this month’s theme is “A Journey Within”.  As you will read in the special feature and viewpoints, the foundation to a happy life lies within us. No external deity is worshiped in Nichiren Buddhism nor do we seek salvation from our sufferings outside of ourselves.

What we adhere to is the realization that each and every person on the planet, without exception, has an enlightened life-condition, the Buddha nature, just waiting to manifest from within.

Revealing the Buddha within is something that only we can do for ourselves, it cannot be delegated. Other people can’t do it for us, not our family or friends. We change our karma, no one else.  We alone manifest our Buddhahood, right where we are, right now.

There is no magical place we need to visit to change it all. Nor do we need priests, monks or nuns to pray on our behalf, their prayers have no special powers. There are no intermediaries between believers and the power and teachings of Nichiren Buddhism. We are all the same. Each person chanting has the same ability to achieve the highest life-state of Buddhahood.

Nichiren Daishonin makes it clear that much of our suffering and unhappiness results from the futile search for happiness outside ourselves.

This concept is extremely prevalent in today’s consumer driven, quick fix society.  All to often we feel that happiness can be found in the external. “If only I had (insert name of your favorite possession) I would be happy. I’m not now, but if and when I get it, then I will be.”  Or, “if only I had more money, or looked a certain way, then I would be truly happy for the rest of my life.” And when we don’t get what we think we need, we become miserable and suffer.

Nichiren made it very clear that what matters most is our faith. And our faith is not enhanced or deepened by something or someone for us. Faith and happiness comes from within. True happiness is unshakeable and independent from any external event. This is the true challenge – seeing everything we face in daily life as an opportunity to grow and deepen our faith so we can be happy, no matter what.

Our journey toward genuine happiness is an inward journey, one based on our own faith. Bon Voyage!

Robert “Skip” Williams
Editor-in-chief

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