Continuing my thoughts about "chanting works"....

In the Bowling Club, "experiences" are a big part of the Nichiren Buddhist hard sell; "experiences" are the centerpiece of every proselytizing meeting and publication. An "experience" is the story of how a chanter chants for something -- a job, a girlfriend, a role in a movie, whatever -- and how, through somewhat mystical means attributable to Namu-myoho-renge-kyo, the person gets what he or she wanted or something even better.

As I said in my earlier post, I'm more skeptical of these stories than I used to be. Even so, the efficacy of chanting has been "proven" to me over and over again. What I'm reaching for is a new way to talk about "experiences."
I've chanted and gotten "stuff." Recently, I prayed quite fervently (and with an air of desperation) for "a path to open in front of me." The next day, an unexpected path opened for me. Recently, I prayed for a specific opportunity. I got the chance I wanted, but ultimately I met with a surprising (and crushing) setback. I prayed for some way to make it through, and to have the means to do what I need to do...and WHAM -- this morning, exactly what I need came right to my front door.

Thank God. Thank the Gohonzon. And thank the wonderful people in my life.

I'm being vague about the events and circumstances because they're somewhat beside the point. My point is this type of thing is what I'm talking about when I say chanting "works." Simply: I pray, stuff happens in "good" and "bad" ways, and in response to an unexpected turn of events, I feel humbled, blessed and emboldened.

Why? Is it because Nam-myoho-renge-kyo is magic? No. It's because the fundamental nature of life is generous (not punitive) and all of us inhabit a web of interrelationship and support that's beyond our comprehension. A mind-blowingly complex karmic story with trillions of tiny threads is playing out around us and through us, and we frankly have no clue most of the time. When we get a glimpse of it we fall to our knees in grateful, awestruck praise...as well we should.

Prayer "works" (and I mean any heartfelt prayer, Catholic or Buddhist or whatever) because it puts us a little more in tune with this Fundamental Generosity. Even if our life is a punishing hell as far as we can see, a prayer is an expression of faith in fundamental, nonpersonal, all-penetrating generosity.

Some people think it's shameful to ask for something in prayer, but asking comes from a receptive heart with the expectation that there is something to receive. And there is: fundamental generosity. Maybe, also, by tuning into it we become a conduit for expressing it -- our thoughts, words and deeds begin to open to and move with currents of generosity.

In this flow, the words "good" and "bad," favorable or unfavorable, have less-concretely negative or positive meanings because, well, the story is so much bigger than temporary gain or loss.

Anyway, that's my theory. My belief is that prayer "works" -- and the way I pray involves chanting Namu-myoho-renge-kyo. (As Auntie pointed out on the other thread, all our thoughts, words and deeds are, in some sense, a prayer.)

As an alternate example, my mom's style of prayer involves lighting candles at a Catholic church. Her prayers, how shall I say?, can kick the ass of my prayers -- but I can't honestly claim that one style of prayer is "better" than any other. Rather, the difference lies in the maturity of one's relationship with prayer and its power.

In my opinion, most of the Nichiren Buddhists I know do not have a mature relationship with prayer. (Brooke alluded to this in her comments on the previous thread.) I'm not saying that I do. I'm saying that I want to find a more mature way to talk about "experiences" of faith -- less about hucksterism or reinforcing sectarian beliefs and more about expanding ideas and attitudes about what it means to be a person who chants.

In the Bowling Club, we had a formula. Every experience needed to include a quote from Nichiren, a quote from the Club president, and a "moral of the story," usually in the form of a determination to tackle even bigger challenges through chanting.

But now I know that faith doesn't necessarily follow formulaic patterns, and everyone has a story to tell....

Again, just thinking aloud.