Your anger... use it, don't be afraid of it.

How does anger make you feel? Do you know how to use it as a force for good? 

Nichiren wrote that wrath can be either good or bad.

Self-centered anger generates evil, but wrath at social injustice becomes the driving force for reform.

Strong language that censures and combats a great evil often awakens adverse reactions from society, but this must not intimidate those who believe they are right. A lion is a lion because he roars.

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With regard to the official letter that has arrived from the great Mongol Empire, I have written eleven letters and sent them to various persons. Undoubtedly this will result in Nichiren’s disciples and lay supporters being condemned to exile or execution. You should not be surprised when this happens. I have used very strong language in my letters, but this is because it is necessary to “force others to listen, though it angers them.” That is the sort of response I am hoping for.

All of you should prepare yourselves mentally for what may come. Do not let concern for wife and children or other family members deter you. Do not fear those in authority. Now is the time to break free from the bonds of this realm of birth and death and to obtain the fruit of Buddhahood! (Nichiren Daishonin, Letter to my Disciples and Lay Supporters, 11th October 1268, Volume 2, p333)
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Don't not be afraid of your anger. Don't repress it. Use it correctly. It can be a powerful force for good.

nam myoho renge kyo

Robbie

I want others to change. I am angry at my parents for criticising me and my faith.

Who are you?

Hello Mr.Robbie,

I am very sorry for disturbing you. I found myself being criticized for my faith by my parents and girlfriend, something which makes me feel angry and sometimes I'm facing trouble staying content, thus not following the third precept. Is there any way I can manage to preserve a calm stay of mind and stay unaffected by negative words? I am greatly worried to find myself often wanting to go back to my previous philosophy because of the pressure applied on me for that matter, but on the other hand, as you saw yourself, my philosophy of life and the way things are is more on the Buddhist side. I surely found strength and compassion inside me, but I think I need some help on the anger part...what should I do?

Thank you for your time to read this.

Hello Friend,

Thank you for taking the time to write.

It always touches me deeply when a person writes to me to share their life, so I wanted to thank you and show my gratitude to you.

Together we can win in life. You are never alone. Never forget that.

When it comes to anger, I think the biggest thing to realise is that the reaction in our selves is often a reflection of how we feel about ourselves or our faith. If we feel insecure about our selves and our faith, this means we can easily become defensive, as we feel we are under attack.

However, when a person has a strong sense of identity, or an even stronger faith or high life state, they will not react in an aggressive way to even the most horrific criticism, as their confidence in them selves or their faith is unshakable.

Sticks and stones can break my bones but words can not hurt me. This may be a cliché but it rings true always.

No matter what others say about you, the single most important thing is how you feel about yourself and how you feel towards your faith.

Chanting earnest diamoku (nam myoho renge kyo) every day, will help you cut through this illusion.

You parents and your girlfriend should be able to see the changes in you as a person with your diamoku.

Using your prayers to transform your relationships with your parents and your girlfriend.

Often, what we want is for others to change. We raise our fists at these people and shout CHANGE CHANGE, WHY WON'T YOU CHANGE?

However, what you must realise is that you can NEVER get others to change. You are the one that must change.

In your heart a change must occur for this obstacle to pass. The more you chant for the happiness of your self and your family, things will change.

As you change, your environment will respond and so will the people in it.

Always focus on your prayer and your study. Learn more about Buddhist teachings.

Prayer, Faith and Study. These three things are key to cutting through the bullshit/illusion that is all around us.

This illusion comes in many forms but most of the time, it is all in our head.

As we create these strong beliefs, we project outwards and manifest situations, relationships, illnesses etc.

Never forget you have the gift of the Buddha nature, within you.

Limitless amounts of wisdom, courage and strength.

Chant Nam myoho renge kyo and use this to transform you life, let go of your anger and feel love.

Fond wishes
Robbie

What is the correct way to chant nam myoho renge kyo? How to chant nam myoho renge kyo

Focus on your chanting. The rest will come to you in good time.

Hey Robbie

I enjoy your site but I have a question that has confused me.

It's not just in things I've read from you but from books and other chanters. Often in the same paragraph it will be suggested that one thinks of little if anything at all while chanting and then the encouragement to chant for one's happiness or some specific goal or goals. This has created a deadlock in my practice because I never feel like I'm doing it correctly. I've been chanting about four years now and I don't want it to be a useless austerity. Also, your view that chanting isn't a good cause in itself raises the question about how one's life state is when we chant. If one is a negative person, wouldn't the idea be to change that through chanting?

f one already has confidence, positivity and self-belief, then why chant at all. Any help on these questions would be appreciated.
Thanks
WR


My response:

How to chant nam myoho renge kyo?

Hi WR

Some very good questions there indeed. So you want to know how to make chanting nam myoho renge kyo effective? Well chanting is something that anyone can do.

These are all questions I have asked my self.

The idea with chanting is that there is no right or wrong way. As long as you are sitting still, with your eyes focused on either The Gohonzon or a blank space, then that is all you must do.

Anyone who has told you to formulate your chanting is incorrect.

When you "chant for specific" things, what is best is to write them down, and then sit and chant.

The process of chanting is deeply profound and all you need do is simply chant. It matters not what is going through your mind, but it simply allows you to focus with time. It takes practice, years of practice.

Chanting can become very boring if you have no motivation and what you mentioned at the end that if you are already a very positive person, why chant?

We are told that chanting alone, is not enough, that we must have faith, practice and study (learning, reading, developing our selves) this is Buddhism and the three pillars.

I can understand your point of view about deadlock, you feel like you have got to a point and then cant go further.

I think what is very important is your attitude to the chanting. You are doing it for your self and not for anyone else. No one is forcing your or expecting you to do it and there should certainly never be any guilt for NOT doing it.

It is a daily practice to help you become closer to your self, to know your self better.

It is advised to do it daily, on waking, to greet a new day, with a positive start, and then before bed as a way to thank the universe for everything you have received that day, as a sort of gratitude practice.

When you think about it, your day is really where you live your life. If you chant morning and evening, you surround your day with the positive and life affirming process of chanting.

The chanting is a good cause, as it puts you on the right track.

I know in my self that when I do not chant, I can get very angry, very easily. I have quite a temper on me and I can loose it easily.

When I have been doing a lot of diamoku (chanting) I am calmer and I tend not to over react and to revert to my old way of being, or the behaviour I have learnt from my father or mother.

It would be interesting to learn how much study you are doing, you should defiantly consider reading a book called The Buddha in Daily Life by Richard Causton. You can get a copy on Amazon.

(Amazon UK - Check out 'The Buddha In Daily Life: An Introduction to the Buddhism of Nichiren...' by Causton, Richard G Causton ... http://amzn.to/dXOogr)

Now the next time you sit down and chant and feel like you are doing it wrong, just remind your self that this is for you and this is your time, alone with your thoughts.

If you dont feel like doing it, dont. If you feel like doing 2 minutes, do 2 minutes. If you feel like doing 30 minutes do 30 minutes.

There is no guilt or regret in what we do.

But, the more you do it, and the deeper the connection you have with your mind and body, the happier you will be as a person.

As the un-happiness that most people feel is an illusion, or its caused by a minded clouded by emotion.

We break through these clouds, when we spend time with our selves and connect with our true selves, our Buddha nature.

This is why there are other people (non-buddhists) who are able to manifest deep happiness as they are able to connect with this part of them selves, regularly.

Nichiren Buddhism is just one path of many.

Don't every let anyone tell you that, this is the only way to happiness. I believe there are many paths to wholeness.

It just so happens that this path is relatively free from dogma and rules and laws and temples etc

Its all about your daily life, your mind, your body, your community, and how the whole world fits together.

I do hope all this makes sense.

I am by no means a master at this stuff, but I feel I do have a deep and profound understanding of the practice.

So please just take my advice if you connect with it or feel right about it.

Never do something unless it feels right to you.

Just trust that when you are chanting, you are the Buddha and that you are able to manifest the Buddha nature in your daily life.

Namaste friend.

Robbie

Do Buddhas experience negative emotions?

I’m assuming that one day I’ll be able to clear myself and expand myself and become everything I want to be—become a Buddha. But even then I would still be able to retrieve all these negative moments—moments of pain, moments of anger born of attachment and born of all the defilements—just the way an actor does. I’m pretty clear about using emotions as an actor. They’re what allows me to be human. The same is true for highly evolved beings. I don’t know any teacher who is devoid of those emotions, but the attachment to them is absent. They’re not used to bludgeon or to harm. But they’re absolutely there and they’re used skillfully. I don’t think a teacher could be skillful without having use of all the full range of human emotions in the same way that Manjushri [bodhisattva of wisdom] manifests himself as Yamantaka [Subduer of the Lord of Death] skillfully.

Saving my friends Marriage. The Gohonzon. What it means to be a buddhist.

Hi Robbie, I like the video you post in youtube. I am new with Gohonzon and haven't attended any SGI meeting. I would like to ask if they have something about marriage. In Christian, they would prefer fixing the marriage if it is failling. Is it also the same in Gohonzon religion? She is fully aware that the guy is in a relationship and she induced him to cheat on her. She got herself pregnant and forced him to marry her. The problem now is he never told his main gf and didnt break up with her. She is working in abroad that's why she never could possibly found out about it. This guy want his life back and marry his main gf. I told him to chant gongyo e daimoku to fix his life. Is it ok to pray their annulment to work? Is this her karma? Hoping you could give me some advice...

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Hi there,

Firstly, thanks for writing. I always love to hear from people all over the world, with their various life stories etc.

Secondly, The Gohonzon is not a religion, it is an object for observing the mind. Nichiren Buddhism isn't strictly a religion, it is a life philosophy.

In our practice we learn that we need to be aware of three things;

The things we think
The things we do or our physical actions
and the things we say.

With these three things, we generate karma.

So when you chant daimoku  it is up to you what you chant for, you could chant for world peace, you could chant for the death of someone you do not like, you can chant for the murder of another person, to give you an EXTREME example.

The point I am trying to make is that daimoku, or chanting nam myoho renge kyo can be likened to a knife, a knife is capable of saving life, as well as taking life, it can be used to sustain life, it can be used to create and it can be used to destroy.

Ultimately, through your thoughts, your words and your actions, you can affect your life and the lives of others.

The best advice I would give someone, is to chant for the other persons happiness, nothing more.

Do not formulate your chant, just chant and trust that life will guide you in the right direction.

But when you choose your determinations, choose them with love, honour and compassion.

Being Buddhist is about choosing your words, thoughts and actions, and realising the potential impact they might have.

The Gohonzon, and chanting are not a magic weapon, or magic lamp.

Chanting enables you to take action, based on a place of love, compassion and great wisdom.

Deception is never a good thing, and lieing and being false behind other peoples backs, almost always comes out at some point.

Be honest and open is often the best way forward.

However, if you friend doesn't know what to do, and is struggling, she/he should chant for the happiness of this person, or chant for the wisdom to help her self out of this situation.

Fond wishes and love to you friend.

Robbie