Nam myoho rengo kyo

Back in 2008 when I had been to Hyderabad with my colleague, Ranjani for official visit, I was introduced to the phrase 'Man myoho Renge kyo', which is a part of Buddhist philosophy. Ranjani was also recently introduced to it and she chanted daily for half an hour and it had brought positive things in her personality and also in her life and she asked me to join her in daily chanting. After coming back to Bangalore, I continued for a few months, attended a few sessions of group chanting and later stopped practicing. I do not remember now why I stopped it. Then I got into the usual rut of family, job, kids, stay in Germany for 2 years, came back to India and then again after a break moved to another city in Germany with family. After moving to the new city with no job and no friends and family, I began to sink deep into frustration and depression until one day I read a short story about the Buddhist practice in a book on my Kindle. And it changed my life.
I quickly searched for Soka Gakkai International on internet. I quote from Wikipedia:

Soka Gakkai is a Japanese Buddhist religious movement based on the teachings of the 13th-century Japanese priest Nichiren as taught by its first three presidents Tsunesaburō Makiguchi, Jōsei Toda and Daisaku Ikeda. It is the largest of the Japanese new religions and holds the largest membership among Nichiren Buddhist groups. "The Gakkai" bases its teachings on Nichiren's interpretation of the Lotus Sutra and places chanting "Nam Myōhō Renge Kyō" at the center of devotional practice. The organization promotes its goals as supporting "peace, culture, and education".

I found out that there are various chanting groups in the city I live and I got a call from one of the members and she invited me to join the group for chanting. After I saw her and met her for the first time, I could feel her positivity and radiance and she was a very warm person. She was into this practice since she was 20 and I could really see how and why she is so strong and friendly and accommodating. I went to meet the group with that lady and found the others extremely warm and positive too. They received me as if they had met a long lost friend. I chanted along with them, it felt really good. Around 9 people chanting in unison for personal and collective good! Later a lady spoke on a topic called 'Karma'. There are many similarities between Hinduism and Buddhism and it was easy for me to relate to this topic. After the session, we had nice warm soup cooked by the host and we dispersed quite late at night. The members meet once a month and I plan to join them every month to get better insights into the philosophy and get acquainted with the working style of the group.

A Brazilian woman, whom I met for the first time in the meeting, offered to drop me home at night and I felt nice talking to her as if we knew each other since years! After that I met her again at her home for chanting and she cooked a nice lunch for us both. We talked about life, Buddhist practice, her personal struggles etc. She is quite elder to me. She has 2 grown up sons but as it is popularly known, friendship has no boundaries. Brazil and India are similar to a great degree. People are very friendly, over-the-top, talkative, loud and chaotic. We bonded immediately. 

What does Nam myoho renge kyo mean:

Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, called "the daimoku" literally means "devotion – mystic law (or ultimate reality) – lotus flower-teaching". In another sense, "myoho-renge" means "the mystic law of cause and effect".

When we chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, we are both chanting the name of, and calling forth, the Buddha nature in our own lives and the lives of others. 

Basically, Buddha Nature is the fundamental nature of all beings. Part of this fundamental nature is the tenet that all beings may realize enlightenment.

Soka Gakkai members chant to change their lives, including the environments in which they live. The goal is to produce an inner change that becomes the motivator for social change.

What chanting brought into my life:

I started chanting regularly from the time I read the chapter about it on my Kindle. It is close to a month now and I chant every day for about 30 minutes. I was searching for some support and some peace in my otherwise calm and peaceful appearing life. I was in one of the best towns in a world-class country but still something was lacking and I was not happy or in harmony. Chanting changed my state of mind. It helped me appreciate what I have and as I am. It made me calmer and less depressive and irritable. It gave me access to a wonderful group of people with whom I felt belonged and wanted. It gave me inner peace and a hope that things in my mind will get better and I will get stronger. 

We met again on 15th May and chanted together followed with an interesting session and peas soup. Getting to know the people was the best thing that ever happened to me after coming here. I look forward to many more informative and fun sessions with them and seek to attain Buddhahood some day! 

Links for your reference:

http://www.sgi.org

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O-Cg8xh62Ps