What is karma? Why do we chant to the Gohonzon? Where is karma created?

By Dr. Yoichi Kawada

What is karma? Why do we chant to the Gohonzon? Where is karma created?

Karma is in the subconscious, specifically in the unconscious part of the subconscious. The subconscious is all our dormant potential. Happiness and unhappiness arise from there. All our images of life are collected there. It is a broad and expansive place. All our past is packed in there, everything. All the images from our previous lives are stored there; all our experiences, feelings, and sounds, everything. They are in our life and in our brain cells.

Everything from the moment you were born; from when you were in the womb even, all the sounds such as your mother singing, and experiences around you are images stored in the unconscious part of your subconscious. This also includes the images stored by your ancestors 1000s of years ago, these images and experiences are carried into yourself. It is your inheritance. It continues on into your offspring etc. These images become your life and they are what you are now experiencing. For example if you tend to get into car accidents you can naturally assume that your ancestors were prone to accidents as well. Likewise if you experience longevity, many of your ancestors also experienced longevity or if illness runs in your family, this will probably occur in your life. This is family karma and it is stored in your subconscious. Because of the connectedness of you and your family, you share this karma with them. When you chant to the Gohonzon you are changing not just your karma, but your whole family's karma at the same time. When one person changes their whole family can change.

Because you carry these images, you carry the same problems; illness, the way you die, poor finances, bad relationships etc. Unless you change these images, they persist in your life and in that of your offspring.

These images come out even if you aren't conscious of them. You are not deciding, but the unconscious image is in control; who you meet, what you do, when you die, if you get sick, etc. These are all results of the images you carry. All these unconscious images have led you to where you are right now. The scientific community is just starting to recognize this. Your unconscious images are your karma.

The right side of the brain has a huge impact on how we alter these images. Appreciation has a huge impact on how we alter that image. Using the words "Thank You" has an enormous impact on changing karma. The right side of the brain is happy to hear the words "Thank You" and responds accordingly. The words Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo in Indian Sanskrit are Namu Sada Ruma Fundareka Sotalon (this is the phonetic spelling) and are translated as "Thank You So Much!"

So then what is the correct way to pray? It is not "Please let this happen to me". It is not begging and not asking for anything. But because we are saying "thank you so much" whenever we recite Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo, we should always be chanting with appreciation. Our minds/emotions need to match our words. The most basic human feeling or emotion is gratitude. It is first emotion we learn as an infant. Beyond the subconscious and unconscious is a very joyful life condition or world.

When we use the right side of our brain it is much easier to chant. We find that we can chant longer using the imagination side of our brain. Never say "please" when chanting. So many other religious practices teach asking for help etc, not Nichiren Buddhism.

You have to appreciate everything in your life, including everything from your past. You need to make a conscious effort to recall as much as you can from your past and appreciate it. Even the things that you don't think you can appreciate you have to find gratitude for them. Then you have to appreciate your current circumstances as well, even if you are in the midst of a huge obstacle, such as cancer, financial ruin, a divorce, whatever the situation; you still have to appreciate it. You have to thank Gohonzon (your life) for giving you this problem, because this is your chance to change negative karma to fortune.

What is the correct way to chant when you have a problem? You have to chant with the spirit of "Thank you so much for giving me this problem. Because of this I can change my negative karma and that of my family's." Pray sincerely from the bottom of your heart to appreciate your present circumstances. Because of this you can disconnect or alter your family karma; you break it and begin to project a new image. You should also set a specific date that you will no longer have this problem.

Dr. Kawada treated fourteen people with stage four cancer. Some were not even SGI members. Their doctors had given up on all of them. One even had to be brought in on a stretcher. All fourteen people joined the SGI. They all learned to chant following this guidance of using the right side of their brain to project an image of no cancer in their bodies. In the US last stage cancer patients are encouraged to draw a white cell eating a cancer cell. Though this has shown to help, practicing Buddhism has an even bigger impact. In two months the person on the stretcher overcame their cancer. Then his doctor joined. Eventually all fourteen overcame their cancer.

You can change any illness, even allergies and skin rashes, etc. If you are an abusive relationship, you can create a new and positive image and it will change the relationship, because you are connected to that person even on a subconscious level. Your unconsciousness is linked to another's unconsciousness. It doesn't matter if they chant or not, they will change. Who ever you have a problem with; you need to chant for them to help them change their unconscious image. You have to work on it over and over and eventually your image will be projected by them as well. This is really the truth. You can impact the images for your entire family. You have to use the right side of your brain to do this. That is the purpose and the function of the right side of the brain, so use it.

You should write a diary. Not a diary of what happened to you today, but how you want your life to unfold for the next 10, 20, 30 years etc. If you do, your life will change. You can literally write your own destiny.

another Fortune Baby..

it's Wenn's turn today.. on this date last year was ken's ceremony.. compare the photos! i looked so bloated then.. kekeke.. and looks like i only have ONE and only ONE clothing for the whole of this year.. see all major event, i am wearing the same thing since CNY2006!! gosh!.. sigh.. anyway, let's take a look at today's pic..

near the entrance.. today is also singapore's 41st b'day.. hence, notice some flags on the flats

in the hall

still in the hall

suck suck suck.. thumb sucking when bored

still bored?! assitant GD (general director) hanging the pouch containing the juzu beads

pose..

reunited with ken.. :)

going home..

wenn's cert and juzu beads..

Let's stop kankucho-ing.. (err, Buddhism related)

Sue (I can't reveal her url here :P) and I were lamenting to each other how meaningless our lives have become.. yada-yada-yada.. i think both of us share a very unique relationship.. we are not really physically close.. nor of the same age.. we met once every week for like mabbe 5-6 years of my secondary school life.. and yet at every point, we seem to feel the same way.. and as of now, we feel depressed and rotten.. sigh.. we are indeed "sisters in karma"..

anyway, after lamenting and all, we came to a conclusion.. we shd not be kankucho-ing.. so, i shall blog it down and later see how much we hv progress from here..

here's a link to the story of Kankucho Bird which was told in the Gosho: Letter to Niike. I got the term kankucho-ing from Brenda's blog.. i do not know the owner, but i was asking google for the term Kankucho and found her blog.

Sue, gambatte desu yo!

Fortune Baby

On this day, Ken attended the Fortune Baby Prayer Session held by SSA. "Fortune Baby" is a term in Soka Gakkai that refers to a person who is born into Nichiren Daishonin Buddhism.

Here are some pics taken of the ceremony.. This mommy is heavily pregnant and having little brain cell left, she forgot to bring the digital camera for such an important event! So, we gotta make do with EM's hp. I would say, not too bad ah the quality!

and these are what was presented.. The pouch and juzu beads are hand-made by the Woman Division of SSA.. those beads are specially chosen.. these women are really praiseworthy to put in so much effort.. seems that there are 380 fortune babies on that day!! imagine.. having to sew so many pouches and making so many juzu-beads!

A closer look of the cert..

Let's hope that ken will have much happiness in life and will grow to become someone who contributes positively to society. Mommy love you!