Where is my good karma? When will it arrive?

This is you. Waiting for your good karma to arrive!

Dear Robbie,

I hope you remember me from few weeks, I wrote to you a letter about how I have some difficulties over the job situation I have. Since receiving your letter I have looked in to the positive side of things and have started to chant.

Since then I did come across few challenges and few things that have disturbed me in somewhat ways. If you remember I mentioned in the previous video but didn't elaborate on so much about the people who have betrayed me but it has become a challenge for myself to overcome. I have helped many people over the last few years, somehow I have always ended up getting hurt by them.

I have helped people to find jobs as well as helping them to apply for Uni's by helping them write applications for these, over the past years the only people who have back stabbed me and said things to me, spread bad rumours about me and used me are mainly the people I have helped.

Long story short, today I finally decided to confront a person who I have helped I asked them why they did what they did by back stabbing and not even have the mildest consciousness in them to understand that treating bad is not the way to do things and when someone has helped them they should understand and recognise it, and yes I was not in the right mood and I did lash at the person when I confronted her. The person who I have helped said so many bad things back to me and called me names and said that basically I'm not worthy. Although the words didn't really hurt me the fact that I have helped this girl and she was saying things to me hurt me more than anything.

I spoke to my fiancé and told him that from here after I would not help any person, please understand that this doesn't mean that I'm going to be rude to every single person, I’m just going to stay away from trouble. My fiancé explained that this is not the way to go and we all should help people and once they have betrayed you, that’s when we should leave it at that and move on and never ever help these people again, because one day this person will need your help and that's how karma works in this life.

I never doubted that helping people will bring you bad and grief but I just don't understand why I keep attracting the wrong people to my life. Robbie please help me to understand how I can stay away from bad energy, bad people in this world. It’s just hurts as a Buddhist that waiting for good Karma never seem to arrive... and wondering why bad things happen to good people and good things happen to bad people....

I hope you could give some sense to my life...

K

My response:

Hey K

Thanks for your letter. Of course I remember you. It wasn't that long ago! :D

I am sorry to hear that you are experiencing obstacles in your life and you feel that your good karma hasn't arrived yet.

I would challenge you on this, as having a fiance and being in love, is wonderfully good karma if you ask me.

Sometimes, we can become so transfixed by our problems that we forget about our blessings.

I would recommend that you write a list of all the things you are really and truly grateful for. Keep them next to you when you chant each morning and night.

You MUST focus on the positive things in your life. Because your life is like a mirror and your mind a magnet. The more you fixate on these people, pushing out the universe, "oh why me, oh poor me, why does all this happen to me, why do bad people always seem to find me?"

The more you put this energy out there each and every day, the more it will be reflected back to you. With out exception.

Each time you do this, you miss out the wonderful things you already have in your life and you dont show them the attention and gratitude they deserve.

Have a read of this post I did a while ago about why bad things happen to good people.

http://nichirenbuddhismlondon.blogspot.com/2010/10/why-do-bad-things-happen-to-good-people.html

Then let me know what you think about what I have said above.

At the end of the day, I encourage you to chant for the wisdom to deal with this situation.

I would chant for the happiness of that person that let you down. Chant for their total and absolute happiness. That is what the Buddha would have told you to do.

Holding on to resentment in your heart is like poison. It will ruin your day, your life and your future.

With every passing moment, you lay down karmic ripples. With your thoughts, your words and your actions. Always be aware of what you think, say and do because these all have latent and manifest effects at some point.

Focus on your diamoku and focus on improving your life and your goals. Give your self clear and strong determinations and even put dates next to them. Have 6 month goals. 1 year goals. 5 year goals.

Forget about people who dont appreciate you. Let them go. You can not change other people. No matter how hard you try, and how loud you shout. They will not change. The only way to change them is to change the way you see them. This happens in your heart.

To give love, help and attention with true compassion is to give with-out any requirement for something back.

Think about it this way.

You have this belief deep inside you, that people will betray you, people will let you down, no-one is to be trusted.

When you go around doing good things for other people, you are setting your-self up. You are setting your own trap.

People dissapoint and let you down. And your inner mind and deep self goes.. AHHH HAAA YOU SEE I WAS RIGHT!!! NO ONE IS TO BE TRUSTED!

Human beings are selfish. That is how many people survive in this tough world. However... it is your job as a buddhist to see through the illusions of arrogance, anger and greed. To see beyond that and see and know that every human being is capable of compassion love and great wisdom. To honestly and truely see their Buddha nature.

Try to change your prayer and focus on the positive.

But ultimately, you must trust in your life and trust in your prayer.

namaste friend.

Robbie
nam myoho renge kyo


K's response a few days ago.

Robbie,

Thank you so much for your prompt reply. First of all I just want to say that I really highly appreciate all your help. After reading your e-mail it made sense to me that it's in my hands to see things that we can't change, I need to change the way I think about things.

Before I received your e-mail I was still in a very disturbed and hurtful mood, so I started to chant and chant and tried not to think about or force myself not to think about things, and then when I opened my e-mail there it was a message from you, I was so happy so I start to read with a smile on my face. 

 I read word by word slowly and again and again and again. I understood everything that's going in my life and realised what was happening is a reason of not seeing things clearly.  

I then went to your blog and started to read another article that you had posted on "How to Chant Nam Myo ho Range kyo " so I read both articles and realised so many things that I knew already but was hard to understand and put it in practice. 

I have started to chant again with a smile on my face, it's hard to forgive and forget people who has done bad to you but I'm trying little by little everyday and I'm a working in progress, I know this doesn't happen overnight since we are working with our hearts and mind, but I'm using the Gohonzon and working through this. 

I spoke to my sister about the whole issue and I also showed her your site and told her that Robbie is also a Nichiren Buddhist and I write to him seeking advice on a spiritual level.

She started to read your blog and said, "wow I felt really good reading these reply's and articles I should save this blog " 

So Robbie thank you so much again, you opened my eyes, I probably didn't say thank you much for the people who have always been there for me and appreciate them for being there for me, after your e-mail I have started to look for the good in people that I love and care and concentrate on good things that I have already in my life.

Thank you again for writing to me and thank you again for understanding me, there are few people who do this type of good deeds in the world but if we have more of you then I think the world would be a better place, but that's what we are trying to achieve by practicing Buddhism.

Thank you again,

Namaste &Take Care,

K

Finding your way back to your self.

Hi Robbie,

Thank you for the amazing videos on youtube, recently since you haven't made any recent updates on chanting or your life as a whole I started searching your page for more recent updates and came across you blog, ever since I found it , I have been on there reading different articles and updates. First of all can I say thank you very much for the amazing blog posts as they are very positive, inspirational and educating.

I have started to chant again, I have been unemployed for quite a while now and it's bit harder to get into my field. I worked as a Human Resource Advisor. I have been unemployed for a while for many reasons, one GFC, harder industry to get in and the other factors that I have faced during interviews (racism) in Australia. There have been encounters with people directly telling that " we would like to employ " White Aussies", I myself an Australian with a different ethnicity, anyways what I'm trying to say is that maybe subconsciously I have given up on trying harder to get ahead in my career or find a job? I been applying for jobs one after another, most of them are without any replies to say that I'm been accepted or rejected even if I find a contract role for a short period of time they are dead end jobs without any future in it and when I go to these jobs ( admin, payroll)I feel worse than I was before because for some reason not been able to use my education and skills makes me wonder why I have spent so much time and money studying .

 I have moved cities for the time been for my fiancé’s job, therefore I don’t have the Gohanzon with me to chant, but I saw this reply to one message from you to someone else who was seeking advice (on a breakup on your blog), well what you have said this person is to face towards a wall and concentrate on what want and chant.I have tried to do this and I have been chating ever since I saw this, although I haven’t seen a progress yet in my life or the difficult situations, do you think the bad experience and the incidents I have come across works in my subconscious mind ?and that may be effecting my ability to concentrate to find a good job? I'm a well-educated person, although not having to use my knowledge and abilities have effected me a lot in so many ways, I like to be free from this pain and anger and I like to move on,....not having a job, a reason to wake up in morning makes me feel really depressed. There are so many other reasons factoring like friends betrayals (I might have mentioned this to you before I guess).

Anyways what is the best way to concentrate when chanting and also how can I gain faith and believe in myself again like I used to? In a way I think I have lost passion for life and for the future, everyday seem like I'm standing still and not moving forward.

any advice or guidance on this is highly appreciated.
Thank you,
K

My Response...


Dear K,

Thanks for writing. And I am terribly sorry for taking so long to get back to you. Life in London is rather hectic.

Firstly, the very fact that you are aware that there is a problem this means things will change.

With chanting what you must always remember is that is not magical lantern, everything that is happening in your life is all connected to the decisions we make.

We all have choices every day, choices in what we eat, who we talk to, where we walk, what we wear, all these causes that we lay down, no matter how small or how big, lead our lives in different directions. Health, Love, Money, Career, World Peace all of them have an impact on our lives, and the world as a whole.

Now, what you must focus on is shifting or breaking through something that is stoping you achieve your dreams. Many spiritual teachers will tell you that what is going on in your life, is a perfect reflection of your inner beliefs and inner world.

So ask your self, all this negativity that is coming from outside, do you believe any of it inside? Even justs a tiny seed of doubt can attract the wrong sort of people, situations etc.

With chanting, what we are doing is focusing on changing something inside us, when this changes, our world changes. This happens because we are all connected. Every man, woman and child, every plant animal and stone, every thing is part of "The Field of Life"

We have all become so disconnected from this field of life, that we have forgotten who we are, and we have forgotten our power.

This inner Buddhahood is limitless, and is capable of great things.

Remember that one person, can have a huge impact on the entire world, you and every single person on this planet is born with this potential.

Sadly for many, this potential is buried, under abuse, cultural suppression, famine, drugs, and a wide array of other things that keep the human potential suppressed.

Now, to begin chanting. Sit and focus a blank wall. Put your hands together and begin. Focus on the sounds coming out of our mouth and feel your entire body. Just be and be present as much as you can. Allow the thoughts and ideas to come and go and do not try to empty your mind. Just let your voice speak the words and let your body observe as you move through different thoughts and ideas.

Often when we chant, inspiration of how we might solve our situation comes to us. It also gives us that inner strength to deal with what ever life throws at us.

Why does this happen? Well it is because of this daily practice, of knowing your self. It doesn't happen over night. It takes time. Sitting there every morning and every night, just you and your thoughts, is a process of building your sense of self.

So many people spend their entire lives, distracting themselves, from themselves and their problems. Drugs, sex, bad relationships, high powered stressful jobs, extreme sports, over eating, abuse of others, these are all things that distract and detract from the issues at hand.

But this daily practice will help know yourself deeper every day.

I wanted to share with you a passage from Disaku Ikeda,

Happiness doesn't exist on the far side of distant mountains. It is within you, yourself. Not you, however, sitting in idle passivity. It is to be found in the vibrant dynamism of your own life as you struggle to challenge and overcome one obstacle after another, as you clamber up a perilous ridge in pursuit of that which lies beyond.


So just focus on your daily practice, and have faith that you will succeed.

Chanting isnt a magic lantern, it wont magically change everything. You stil must take ACTION in your life, but what is important is FAITH. Faith in your life and that you can succeed in anything that you set your mind to, that you are capable and worthy.

That your life has meaning and that you deserve to have un-shakable happiness.

No matter where you are and what you do, we are all capable of manifesting the Buddha-nature.

Fond wishes and let me know how you get on.

Namaste Friend.

Robbie