When we were young no one taught us how to walk. We were true to our own nature and learned ourselves. But as we get older, people (parents, teachers, etc.) wanted to control us. We got angry. Be like a tree. A tree stays a tree no matter if you kick it or curse at it. It is in harmony with itself. It doesn't care what you do. It is just being a tree. But this is not the same with humans. We do not live in harmony with our true nature, and we are swayed by the opinions and thoughts of those outside of us.

We embrace our mistaken identities so deeply that they become our reality. Appreciation does not refer to things outside yourself. Appreciate your own life first. Appreciate when you fail. Appreciate when you try and try again and still fail. Appreciate when you embarrass yourself Our fundamental problem is that we are unhappy. So how do we turn it around? Appreciate who you are. You are a Buddha. You are the best thing that ever appeared on this whole planet. You are the greatest thing in the whole universe. If you believe that there is nothing you cannot do with your life, then there is nothing you cannot do. To believe that you can do anything is to bring your life into harmony.

To chant Nam Myoho Renge Kyo is to put yourself in harmony. But it comes from appreciating your own life. When your life is falling apart, try and chant in that moment to appreciate your own life. If you are in harmony it will turn around. Our lives have unbelievable power and wisdom, but wisdom, but we don't trust ourselves and let it come forth. We always look for validation outside and we'll never get it. If we validate ourselves, we will be able to influence everything around us .

Challenge for March
No matter where my life is at, I will chant with the determination that I will turn this situation around within one month. I'll take the responsibility to make it happen. And in that one month, I'll create the biggest benefit of my life.

The Daishonin said that the Treasure Tower in the Lotus Sutra is the Gohonzon, and that each and every one of us who chants Nam Myoho Renge Kyo is Many Treasures Buddha. If you believe that you are Many Treasures Buddha, then the place where you are is the dwelling place of the Buddha and the dream that you have is the Buddha's dream.

If, however, you begrudge your life, you will not be able to turn it around. Again the March
Challenge: To turn your life around in one month:
1) Perceive the truth of your life.
2) Take responsibility for creating the greatest benefit you've ever had.
Evervthing begins and ends wtih vou. Kyochi Myogo = oneness of the person and the law. When you chant. you and the law become one.

Nam Myoho Renge Kyo encompasses everything in the universe. Chant that your life and your goal will become one. You are the center of the universe. Don't chant to overcome an obstacle. Don't chant about something out there. Chant Nam Myoho Renge Kyo for the harmony of your own life. Chant to perceive your own truth. Being a Buddha does not mean you are perfect. It means you always turn the negative into a benefit.

We usually think of Appreciation as something outside of us. We appreciate our
possessions or what someone does for us. But in Buddhism, Appreciation is for our own life. We strive to appreciate the essence of our life, whatever we are going through in the moment.

Our goal as Buddhists is to develop a correct view of our life. Nichiren Daishonin said, "He who perceives the greatness of his life is a Buddha. He who doesn't is a fool." Chant to realize that you are the Buddha just as you are. Nam Myoho Renge Kyo allows the opportunity to perceive who you truly are. When you perceive who you are, you will naturally impact your environment.

It is not easy to appreciate your life, because your life does not want to appreciate itself. Just try chanting daimoku for fifteen minutes exclusively focusing on appreciating your life. Your mind will get distracted and you will think about everything but appreciation. But strive to stay focused on appreciation. Just as you are.

In our minds we judge our lives. We see part of our self as good and part as bad. We believe we have to push everything to the positive side to be happy. But you cannot do that. You just are who you are. There is no such thing as Good BuddhaBad Buddha. There is only the Buddha. Just as you are.

We are all just Buddhas. And sometimes we will do terrible things. Good and bad exists because we are human beings. The only thing our stupidity proves is that we are human. And there is not/ling wrong with that. Being a Buddha means that we take the negative and turn it into a benefit. When we take a negative circumstance and use it to validate a negative belief about our self we are in misery. Because you haven't got the job you've always wanted is not proof that your are a terrible and worthless person. It is an opportunity to prove how wonderful you are as a human being.

We are all dysfunctional somehow, and we believe it is the cause of all our suffering. That is B.S. We buy into this belief so that we have a reason to fail. We always have to have a reason to fail. Then negative only perpetuates itself and gets deeper. Our Buddhahood exists inside our dysfunction, too. If we manifest our Buddhahood and appreciate our life, then our "dysfunction” will become our greatest benefit. Nam Myoho Renge Kyo can turn anything around. Everything about our character is unbelievably wonderful. We think we have to fix what we believe to be broken, but in reality nothing is broken.

Appreciation
We need to find out how wonderful and powerful our life is. We can do it in one night if we really appreciate our self. Appreciation does not mean that you accept the circumstances. Again, it is not about something outside of you. Appreciation has three qualities:
1) No matter what happens you do not betray your dreams/goals/self.
2) No matter what happens, you don't make any judgments about yourself
3) No matter what the situation in your life, you must turn it around.

It is unacceptable to be in a place where you are depressed. That has to be our
fundamental attitude. If you are angry, make it the function of the Buddha.
Whatever qualitv is fundamental to vour life. chant to appreciate it and it will
bring out unbelievable power.

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This page was last modified on Sunday, August 20, 2006.