Hi Everybody,
Apologies for the longish break. I'm deep into the new book and when I'm struggling with a difficult chapter as I have been, grappling with the concept of spirituality, it's hard to tear myself away. Anyway here I am and ready to launch into the final chapter of this book called Approaching the Practice, which is about the daily practice of Nichiren Buddhism. So here goes.
' It's important to de-mystify this word practice. The fact is that it is used in very much the same way as one might use it in talking about any other field of human endeavour. The basic objective of any practice is to get better at something. Any sportman or musician, any artist knows that unless they train, unless they practice, they cannot possibly attain their full potential. Moreover, having more innate potential doesn't mean less practice. The bigger the talent the more, rather than the less, those sportsmen and those musicians have to practice, because they have a greater potential to fulfil. Few people for example, train as hard as olympic sportsmen and women, or concert musicians.
By the same token, however inherent the Buddha nature may be, drawing it out into the light of our daily lives requires a real personal commitment to sustained practice. It is very common to hear Nichiren Buddhists say that the more they practice, the more they feel themselves to be fortunate, in harmony with themselves, and in some way, however difficult it may be to define, in rhythm with the world around them. Unexpected opportunities appear for example, at the most opportune moment, seemingly insoluble problems reach a resolution, relationships improve, anxieties diminish. That may sound just too good to be true. Maybe. That doesn't alter the fact that the experience is a common one, and that these occurences continue to occur, as a result of greater awareness perhaps, or a greater openness to whatis going on in the environment, or a sharper sense of the possibilities in any particualr situation.
Similarly, when Buddhists are aware that they are approaching a time of extra stress or difficulty in their lives, a set of important exams coming up, or stress in a close realtionship, or illness, or a change of job, they go into training so to speak. They deliberately step up their practice, to give themselves the greater resilience and self-confidence and judgment, to help to drive them through a challenging time.
It is as deliberate and as practical a process as that.
Thus people use the practice as an additional asset available to them. Buddhism is daily life.
Right that's it.
Back on Saturday for the next episode.
Thanks for reading to here.
Best wishes,
William
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