A few years ago, I decided to concentrate on chanting to fundamentally change my relationship with physical and emotional pain. With the help of a wonderful therapist, I began to discover new insights into why the way I overreact is out of synch with my present reality.
Many of the mental constructs and habits I used to successfully survive my childhood stayed with me as an adult. For instance, I employed humor and self-deprecation in stressful work situations. Also, my tendency to rock back and forth, which was comforting as a child, made it difficult for grown up me to concentrate. It was as if my subconscious was still expending enormous energy reacting to past childhood events.
In many ways, my Buddhist practice has been a process of altering these subconscious habits and associated karma to reveal my true enlightened nature. By chanting through each relationship, health and work challenge over these many years, I have been able to slowly chip away at many of these unneeded defenses.
"Suffering only gets worse when we try to run from it rather than facing it." - Daisaku Ikeda
I’m now finally able to sit still without effort while chanting. This is also a tremendous benefit for my wife!
By letting go of these subconscious reactions, I'm more able to more easily elevate my life condition. And the result has been remarkable. I'm looking forward to transforming more past sufferings into joy.