Having a solid foundation in our lives is vitally important. It means that the ups and downs of life can come and go, but we can maintain an even keel.
Naturally that makes life easier for us, but it also means that we can be a stable influence in the lives of those around us, our loved ones and also our less immediate circle of friends, colleagues and acquaintances.
Having my Buddhist Practice at the centre, as my Honzon, as my anchor is a very liberating state of affairs. At the centre of that Practice is my Gohonzon making it the absolute centre and the pivot, around which my whole life revolves.
Of course, the centre of many people’s lives are their partners, their children, their families and that is perfectly acceptable, but does mean that their anchor is not fixed, it is ever changing. These changes can be a major source of unhappiness. How often have we seen the elderly couple, totally devoted to each other, so that when one of them dies, the other goes soon after.
Having Buddhism and my Practice as my Honzon doesn’t mean that my family and friends mean any less to me, in fact it allows me to make more of those relationships. But it does mean that as situations change, as the inevitable problems in life arise, my anchor remains firm and I can cope with those challenges all the better.
Maybe it’s not for everyone, it does take a conscious effort to make the change after all, but for me, the effort is repaid many, many times over by the feeling of constancy in my life.
Having slept like a log for the whole night, I woke this morning feeling great. I chanted, I showered, got dressed and went to the supermarket to get a few ‘essentials’, almond croissants for breakfast. Having started the day with great gusto, I dove into my works email inbox and dealt with the email enquiries that were waiting for me. I spoke to my Mom on Skype, I was feeling so much better.
Another day of dealing with work issues, so it wasn’t a problem that it was cold and miserable outside. Of course I miss getting out on the bike, but it will still be there when the weather improves and the workload subsides. The best bit about getting stuck into a whole heap of work, is that it won’t be sitting there waiting for me in the morning.
Whatever will our crazy society come up with next? 
Being a member of the SGI (Soka Gakkai International) sometimes raises questions about who we are, what we do, and why. Soka Gakkai is Japanese for Value Creating Society, and the organisation is dedicated to helping communities and individuals to create value and happiness in their lives.
Today has just been one of those days.
This lifetime will never come again, it is precious and irreplaceable. To live without regret, we must have a concrete purpose, continually setting goals and challenges for ourselves. But setting these challenges will achieve nothing unless we keep moving towards those specific targets steadily and tenaciously, one step at a time.
The true victors in life are those who, having endured repeated challenges and setbacks, have sent the roots of their spiritual being to such a depth, that nothing can ever shake them loose.
No this isn’t a post about the motto of the Boy Scout organisation, it’s about being ready to face whatever life may throw at you. Many things happen to us in life. There are joyous days and times of suffering. Sometimes unpleasant things happen, but this is really what makes life so interesting. The dramas we encounter are part and parcel of being human.
The Search For Enlightenment 
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