(Photo above courtesy of Justin Holliday)
Justin Holliday looks back at how chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo helped him find his inner Buddha and see that same potential in his family.
I was introduced to chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo by my co-worker Margaret. I wasn’t sure what to expect when she showed me how to chant in May 2020, but because of how crazy the year had been, I felt it couldn’t hurt to try.
I started chanting for my family to have peace since we had been through a lot over the years, but I wasn’t expecting a concrete result to what I was chanting about.
In July, for my birthday, my entire family came together to celebrate virtually. We had started a tradition of celebrating birthdays virtually but this was the first time that everyone gathered. We shared happy memories, and I felt closer to them than I had in years. I realized that chanting was the only new part of the equation and was amazed at the power and real impact it had on my life in such a short time.
I realized that chanting was the only new part of the equation.
I’m so thankful to have been introduced at this time because it’s helped me rethink my approach to life. Seeing the changes in my life, my girlfriend also started chanting to find ways to deal with her stress and anxiety of not being able to be around others. Through chanting she realized that there are still creative ways she can connect with the people in her life. Some of her relationships are actually stronger than they were before.
With everything that happened in 2020, chanting has been invaluable to my growth and happiness.