A little over 6 years ago I was introduced to the Nichiren Buddhist organization Soka Gakkai International and chanting Nam Myoho Renge Kyo. When I lived in New Orleans I was first invited to come to a meeting by a member of my Reiki community. After attending a meeting, I wasn’t exactly sure what to think… but I walked away feeling the powerful presence of the chanting practice.
Not long after I attended an SGI New Years Day meeting and celebration in New Orleans. It was here that a trusted friend shared that they had a major breakthrough in their life after becoming an SGI member and chanting. As I was in the midst of some of my own challenges and had been moving through some thick life issues for some time, I wanted that too… so I took a leap and decided to become a member.
That was over 6 years ago and through the course of that time and living in many countries abroad, my practice and my life have continued to develop and grow.
Why do I chant? Well, I imagine it’s an accumulation of many small and large reasons and experiences. Here are some of them.
- When I chant for something, sometimes things that seem “miraculous” happen. I have a list of many small and large things that have worked out in amazing ways from chanting. When I first started to chant I was selling shiitake mushrooms at the local farmers market. The friend who introduced me to the practice suggested that I chant for my mushroom sales. I did and without doing anything else differently, my mushroom sales doubled. When I was preparing for the first step of my international journey, going to Germany, I had purchased a ticket at a great price from US to London. It was important to me to have a place to stay in London for a day or two before flying on to Germany to give my mind and body a little time to rest and adjust before continuing. As I was taking this journey with a great leap of faith but little money, it was necessary that I had a free or nearly free place to stay in London as hotels are quite expensive. So I chanted fervently for a free place to stay in London. Amazingly, a few weeks before my departure I was at a local group I attend which had an out-of-town visitor. A friend who knew my London agenda said to me regarding our out-of-town guest “You know, his mom lives in London and sometimes she hosts guests.” She then proceeded to introduce the idea to him and after working out a few details, I had a free place to stay in London!
This list goes on and on. Often it’s simple things. For instance not long ago I was chanting for help voting in the past presidential election. I had newly arrived in North Carolina, was not registered to vote in the state, had been out of the country for five years and wasn’t sure what I needed to do. I chanted about it and shortly after I noticed a sign in a field near where I would go hiking that said “Do you need help voting?” I laughed and thought… yes, as a matter of fact I do! I called the number, the man was very helpful and with his recommendation I was able to register for early voting and easily voted in the last election. - Chanting feels good. This is pretty simple, I feel better when I chant. Just the experience of chanting Nam Myoho Renge Kyo is a positive thing for me and I walk away in a better space than when I started. I remember one time when I was in South Korea, I met some SGI members at one of the SGI centers in Seoul. We chanted together for hours. When I left, everything looked shiny. Everything – the buildings, the cement, the trees. It was like I was looking at life through a lighter, sparkly lens.
- Chanting with others and attending SGI meetings often shifts my mood and experience. On more than one occasion, I have gone to a meeting in a certain place… maybe I feel anxious or overwhelmed or sad. Often when I leave it’s like my plate has been polished and I just feel different in relationship to my life and life circumstances. For example, not long ago I went to a meeting and I felt like I was in a “bad place.” I had just started a new job and felt stressed out and overworked. Plus the night before I had a “bad evening” and had gotten virtually no sleep. So I showed up at the meeting stressed out and a bit freaked out from no sleep. Plus I still had about four hours of work to do that day, a Sunday. At the meeting I chanted to have the patience, ease and clarity to complete my work without struggle. Amazingly, that afternoon I was able to stay in a good place and easily get all my work done feeling clear and alert. A major shift for me and honestly a bit of a miracle as I am someone who easily gets overwhelmed and doesn’t do well without sleep.
- SGI is a great way to connect with others. As much as I’ve traveled around and moved, SGI has been a great way to meet and connect with others. And not just any “others,” but people who are working to overcome their own obstacles and support “not giving up” and “anything is possible.” This is a good space to be in! And it’s helped me a lot in making new, positive and supportive connections out and about in the world and at home.
If you are curious about changing Nam Myoho Renge Kyo, SGI has some simple, helpful videos and are a great place to start exploring chanting.
Chanting Nam Myoho Renge Kyo. This is a short video that shows you how to chant and teaches chanting Nam Myoho Renge Kyo.
Chanting excerpts from the Lotus Sutra. Part of the daily practice of SGI is chanting excerpts from the Lotus Sutra. This practice is called Gongyo. This video is “karaoke-style” and takes you slowly through the practice.
Typically, SGI members do Gongyo and chant Nam Myoho Renge Kyo in the morning and evening. There is no right or wrong way to try it. If you like, you can experiment with chanting 15 minutes in the morning and 15 minutes in the evening.
If you are curious about SGI or want to know more, feel free to reach out. It’s really been a positive, growth supportive practice for me. It supports me overcoming obstacles and not giving up in my life and often brings unexpected benefits and solutions to my life. I am glad to have this practice in my spiritual tool box as I go along for this ride of life.
Gypsy Woman 