(Photo above by Cottonbro / Pexels)
Think about something you do every day. Okay, now think about how that action impacts your daily life. Did eating come to mind? Of course, eating is how we stay alive so it may be obvious but still important. Or maybe you thought about brushing your teeth each day in the morning and before you go to bed. Equally important when it comes to personal hygiene.
We were all taught these daily routines so we can take care of ourselves. But what about our spiritual well-being? Maybe not so much.
According to Google Trends 2020, the word meditation was a key search trend worldwide. It’s no surprise that during one of the most difficult years in history, people are searching, literally, for how to cope and take care of their spiritual health.
Fortunately, for Buddhists, improving our “spiritual well-being” is just as important as brushing our teeth or eating. Why? Because the way we take care of ourselves internally impacts the way we experience the world.
Our twice daily practice of chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo and reciting two parts of the Lotus Sutra, referred to as gongyo, is like our daily spiritual workout. It’s how we develop a solid spiritual core to experience genuine happiness and fulfillment despite whatever we are facing at the time.
It’s not an obligation or empty ritual. It’s for our happiness.
It’s not an obligation or empty ritual. It’s for our happiness. We view it as a privilege, like, Wow, every morning and evening I get to create hope in my life. Just imagine how empowering it would be to decide how we’re going to feel each day rather than being at the mercy of our circumstance.
The Buddhist philosopher Daisaku Ikeda shares more on this point:
Chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo charges our batteries. If we take care to charge our batteries regularly, then we’ll always be full of energy and vitality. If we fail to keep our batteries charged, we won’t have energy when we need it most and as a result may be defeated by our environment.
Discussions on Youth, p. 231
So, let’s get our batteries charged! Chanting twice a day will leave you feeling more energized and refreshed. Who knows, you may even notice the birds chirping and the fresh air in the morning when you’re heading to work.
If you need some help with this or want to learn more, you’ll appreciate this podcast episode.
P.S. If you’d like to attend in-person Buddhability community meetings to ask actual questions, feel free to email us!