Winza

The Gohonzon is an object of devotion in Nichiren Buddhism. It is a paper scroll with characters written in black ink and is hung up within a box, called the butsudan. People say that the Gohonzon contains all aspect of life as it has the words nam-myoho-renge-kyo written on it. To me, the Gohonzon just an ordinary object, an object that Buddhists use in conjunction with chanting/praying to reflect on their lives. This is how I interpret it and this is how I use it - instead of being skeptical about it, I will put my faith in the object as if it is part of my life.

I will receive the Gohonzon tomorrow at the SGI commemorative meeting. It is supposed to be an exciting experience getting the Gohonzon, but I don’t know how I am feeling at the moment. On one hand, I am very happy to receive the Gohonzon - it means that I can strengthen my practise in Buddhism and that it will help me in my human revolution. On the other hand, I feel skeptical about the Gohonzon and what benefit I will receive from it. Sometimes I find myself questioning the purpose of converting into Buddhism. Is it going to benefit me for the rest of my life; is it really going to help me in achieving my personal goals? Or is it just a way to kill time?
No matter what the purpose is, this practise has definitely helped me in my attitudes towards life. My confidence has grown immensely over the past year, I worry less about certain issues and I am starting to appreciate myself, others and the environment. I have become more opportunistic - taking more risks, taking more responsibility and being less hostile towards my colleagues.

I hope the Gohonzon would strengthen my practise in Buddhism and assist me in my developments in all aspects of life. There is a common saying in the practice, “Never seek the Gohonzon outside yourself”. So as long as I have faith in the Gohonzon, the benefits of it in the form of personal transformations will manifest from within.