You Don’t Need to Hide Your Struggles

You know, you talked about this problem-solving.

Yeah.

So how would you say that, like, in your daily life today, how does Buddhism help you with problem-solving?

Hmm.

[sighs] So we talk about karma a lot, right? Um, and there's other philosophies that talk about karma.

But one aspect about, you know, Nichiren Buddhism that I really like is that, like, we choose our karma.

Like-

Mm

... we choose, like, like, it's a very we're in the driver's seat-

Mm

... of our own lives, if we choose to be.

Mm.

You know? It's a little philosophical.

Mm-hmm.

It's kind of, like, maybe a little heady, so ap- apologize.

But I think when I can, when I can come to terms, like, when I'm chanting and I can really, like, feel like, "Yes, I'm the driver's seat of my life," you know, then there's no problem that I can't overcome, you know?

Mm-hmm.

'Cause if it feels like I'm just in the backseat of some, you know, like, Uber of life-

[laughs]

... uh, or, you know, whatever, like someone else is driving, then I'm just going wherever it's gonna go.

Like, I have no, no say.

But so I think in that sense, I believe, you know, through chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, through studying, you know, the Nichiren Daishonin's philosophy, um, writings of Daisaku Ikeda, and talking to friends in our community, there's nothing we can't overcome.

Mm-hmm.

And then to add that one step further- I firmly believe that when you help other people, um, support others while you're going through problems, is the surest and quickest way to actually pull ourselves out of something.

Mm.