Buddhability

Here's today's question: How can Buddhism help me with this stress caused by chronic physical pain?  How can I be happy living with chronic illness? Buddhism teaches that falling to illness is not a form of failure or defeat. In fact illness can be an inspiration to bring out our best, most resilient selves.References:https://www.worldtribune.org/2021/key-ways-to-view-and-overcome-the-suffering-of-illness/https://www.worldtribune.org/2022/my-chronic-illness-sometimes-makes-me-feel-hopeless-can-my-buddhist-practice-help/ 

Here’s today’s question: Do I have to believe in chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo for it to work?This is a question nearly every person who starts to chant has in the back of their mind. Unless spirituality or a chanting-like practice has already been part of your life for a while, it can feel very new and hard to believe in.We want to approach this question from a few angles but first, to answer it directly: no, when you first start chanting, you do not have to believe in it or understand it for it to work. References:https://buddhability.org/practice/dont-know-much-about-buddhism/ https://www.worldtribune.org/2023/buddhism-is-the-clear-mirror-that-reflects-our-lives/“On Attaining Buddhahood in This Lifetime,” The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, vol. 1, p. 3

Here's today's question: How can I set healthy boundaries that honor myself and others? One listener asked: “How can Buddhism help me and my family with setting boundaries? Setting boundaries at work seems easier than with family stuff.” Chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo about our situation ensures that we make our decisions based on wisdom, courage and compassion, rather than trends or emotion.References:https://buddhability.org/practice/how-buddhists-set-healthy-boundaries/https://buddhability.org/practice/supporting-others-doesnt-have-to-come-at-a-personal-cost/ 

Here’s today’s question: What does Buddhism say about dealing with grief? Grief is something we all experience at some point in life.  One listener asked, “I've recently had a few folks die and I am trying to give myself space to have this new emotional experience but also be strong, move forward, help others and be happy. What should I do?”  Another listener wrote in, “What does Buddhism teach about grieving about sudden death and the trauma that comes with it?”   Today we’ll discuss the Buddhist view that life and death are one.References:https://www.worldtribune.org/2020/toward-a-century-of-health-4/https://buddhability.org/purpose/life-and-death-are-one/https://www.worldtribune.org/2021/a-revolutionary-view-of-life-and-death/ 

Here’s today's question, ”Can I be angry when I chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo?” It’s actually a combination of a few questions we received. One person asked, “Some days I feel powerful and determined. Some days I feel sad and cry. But lately, I've been furious and angry. Is it okay to be furious and angry in front of my Gohonzon?” And another person asked, “Is there a way I can use my anger for good?” So let's talk about anger and chanting.References:https://buddhability.org/practice/what-should-i-think-about-when-im-chanting/https://buddhability.org/purpose/how-to-transform-your-anger-into-positive-action/ https://www.worldtribune.org/2022/resolving-conflicts-as-buddhists/ 

Here’s today’s question, “I’m starting a new job soon and I’m wondering if you could talk a little bit about stressful transitions in life?”  We actually got quite a lot of questions about work stress or challenging professional situations. We’ll answer the question and touch on what Buddhism says about work.

Here’s today’s question: I’m dealing with a really stressful relationship with someone close to me. Do you have any advice on what to do when someone just keeps getting under your skin?Well first of all, who can’t relate to this one? Stress is an inevitable part of daily life, but when it manifests through a person, it tends to bring with it a whole host of other emotions – anger, frustration, blame, hopelessness, and feeling stuck in a cycle.But Buddhism does offer some great perspective on relationships like this. Buddhist philosopher Daisaku Ikeda writes, “Our human relationships are like a mirror. So if you’re thinking to yourself, ‘If only so-and-so were a little nicer to me, I could talk to them about anything,’ then that person is probably thinking, ‘If only such-and-such would open up to me, I would be nicer to them.’ ... Therefore, you should make the first move to open the channels of communication.”References:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fKeAERp90-o&embeds_referring_euri=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.worldtribune.org%2F&feature=emb_imp_woythttps://www.worldtribune.org/2023/buddhism-is-the-clear-mirror-that-reflects-our-lives/ https://buddhability.org/purpose/10-ways-to-improve-our-relationships-in-2022/ 

Today we have two exciting announcements. First, we’re launching a new 7-day series called “Change Your Relationship with Stress.” From July 24 to August 1, you'll receive inspiration in your inbox each day about how to transform stress in nearly every area of your life from relationship stress and financial stress to work and family stress. Visit us at Buddhability.org and sign up for our email newsletter to be a part of it. Our second announcement: We’re launching a new summer podcast series, where we’ll answer your questions about Buddhism and life in mini podcast episodes. If you'd like to ask a question, just email us at connect@sgi-usa.org, or message us on Instagram. Feel free to send us a voice memo too! We might anonymously include it on the show. We'll kick off the series with this question, which inspired the stress series too: How can Buddhism help me deal with stressful relationships?

“Tips & Insights” is an episode series in which we introduce one Buddhist concept each month and share how it can be applied to your life!Today’s episode is about suffering, an inescapable fact of life for all living beings, but one that Buddhism offers a refreshing and concrete perspective on.References:https://www.daisakuikeda.org/main/philos/essays-on-buddhism/buddhist-view-of-life-and-death.htmlhttps://www.worldtribune.org/2023/faith-is-the-compass-for-victory-in-life/https://www.worldtribune.org/2021/chanting-in-both-suffering-and-joy/ 

This week we're airing a rerun of one of our most popular episodes from June, 2021 with lawyer Dan Foley. On June 26, 2015, the U.S. Supreme Court ratified same-sex marriage, a monumental achievement after a more than 25-year battle across the country.Recently, journalist Sasha Issenberg published a riveting, comprehensive history of that struggle, titled The Engagement: America’s Quarter Century Struggle Over Same-Sex Marriage, tracing it back to 1990, when the political movement took off with a case in the Hawaii Supreme Court.At that point, Issenberg explains, no significant gay rights group had endorsed marriage as an objective. But, in 1990, when three same-sex couples applied for marriage licenses in Honolulu and were denied, they turned to a lawyer named Dan Foley. Less than three years later, the Hawaii Supreme Court became the first court in the world to conclude that queer couples’ freedom to marry was a basic civil right. The rest is a fascinating and groundbreaking history of the national journey toward June 26, 2015.