The SGI in India--the circle completes itself as Buddhism returns in force

The rhythmic sounds of Buddhist chanting - Nam-myoho-renge-kyo,
> Nam-myoho-renge-kyo - ebb and flow at dawn, like the mellifluous pealing
> of
> bells. However, the couple sitting cross-legged with their prayer beads
> before a small wooden altar, are a far cry from the average saffron-draped
> Buddhist monk. Vishal and Soma Vij are a hip, urbane couple who could be
> from any metropolitan city in the world. They live in a tiny neighbourhood
> in Mumbai, where their day begins with chanting.
>
> Vishal, 42, is an advertising consultant who started his career as a
> copywriter in Lintas. Soma, 36, gave up her career as an IT professional
> and
> now is a full-time parent to their 18-month-old daughter, Namah.
> This couple, like tens of thousands of others in Indian metros, has turned
> to a sect of Buddhism called Nichiren Buddhism, in a bid to find a sense
> of
> inner calm and balance in an increasingly bewildering world.
>
> Negotiating the maze that is urban existence - with the breakdown of the
> joint family, the skyrocketing cost of living, walking the tightrope
> between
> the modern marriage and the modern workplace - is complicated for many.
> Increasingly, young people look to spirituality as a coping mechanism or
> to
> fill a vacuum in their lives.
>
> Practically every other building in Mumbai has at least one Buddhist.
> Delhi
> and Mumbai have Buddhist community centres in several localities. The
> amazing thing about this rapidly growing faith is that most people
> seriously
> drawn to it are between the ages of 25 and 45.
>
> Prayer meetings are no longer about a troop of elderly people sitting
> together in religious discourse. Nowadays one sees bankers, lawyers, yoga
> instructors, media professionals and entrepreneurs in Kol kata, Bangalore
> and Chennai, Sindhis, Tamilians, Parsis, Sardars, Bengalis - everyone
> chants. They chant everyday, pray to Gohonzons (a mandala depicting the
> universe, given to members who want to practise the religion for the
> remainder of their lives), watch video conference talks beamed by their
> leader in Japan every month, and spend several evenings a week helping
> other
> members work through their personal problems. They swear by it, say it has
> changed their lives and given them an oasis of peace, as well as the
> courage
> to battle adversity.
>
> Nichiren Buddhism promotes the philosophy of the 13th century Japanese
> Buddhist, Nichiren Daishonin, who spent his life unveiling the meaning of
> the final teachings of Buddha, encapsulated in the Lotus Sutra. He
> concluded
> that every human being is capable of attaining enlightenment and that
> chanting is the path towards it. In India, the organisation promoting the
> ideals of Nichiren is called the Bharat Soka Gakkai. (Soka means value
> creation, Gakkai means society.) It is a registered society that promotes
> peace through dialogue, culture and education and highlights how one
> person
> has the power to make a difference.
>
> It seems what draws people to this faith is that it isn't a religion.
> Instead, it is a philosophy, and a way of life that you adopt, which in
> turn
> equips you to deal with stress and pain, helping you to be a happier and
> better human being.
>
> The one thing that seems to be common amongst all followers is the genuine
> need to improve their lives. Says Vishal, "I moved from Ranchi to Mumbai
> for
> college and didn't know anyone here. Very quickly, I found myself in a bad
> relationship, with an alcohol and substance abuse problem. I had lost
> touch
> with my family and as a result, I didn't have a strong sense of self." He
> then encountered Nichiren Buddhism through his friend and describes the
> profound changes it made in his life.
>
> "Earlier I would struggle to come up with creative ideas at work. After
> chanting for six months, things started improving dramatically. I started
> doing well at work and ended the bad relationship." Today, after 17 years
> of
> practice, Vishal is happily married to a fellow Buddhist, is financially
> comfortable and exudes a zen-like tranquility that pervades the energy of
> his home.
>
> Indeed, this dramatic turnaround is what Nichiren Buddhism calls a Human
> Revolution, which takes place when you start to chant, practice and bring
> faith back into your life.  Says Delhi-based Naveena Reddi, the Director
> General of Nichiren Buddhism in India: "When we commit ourselves to this
> practice, we come to understand at the core level that we have the ability
> to transform our lives from within. We can bring forth wisdom, hope,
> compassion, and the courage needed to deal with every aspect of our lives.
> This process of self-mastery makes us truly happy especially when we are
> also able to help others to do so. This is called human revolution which
> involves overcoming our smaller self and awakening to our larger self that
> works for the interest of all humanity."
>
> Naveena is in her 40s and has been practicing the faith for 30 years now.
> "Buddhism has impacted my life in an all-pervasive way," she says. "I
> started practising as a student because my health problems affected me not
> only physically but also psychologically, making me a very pessimistic
> person. Through Nichiren Buddhism I not only overcame my problems but it
> also gave me a sense of purpose and meaning. What appealed to me immensely
> was the combination of a great philosophy and a simple practice."
>
> The other reason most practitioners find the philosophy easy to imbibe
> into
> their daily lives, is that unlike many belief systems that shun the real
> world, Nichiren Buddhists believe that Buddha asks humans to be like the
> lotus flower - radiant and beautiful despite the muddy pond it is
> surrounded
> by. So it is important to live in the materialistic world and deal with
> sufferings, desires and problems, as the human revolution cannot take
> place
> in a vacuum.
>
> What many have found is that chanting gives them the ability to break
> through the barriers of their own mind. Sonal Ahuja, 27, a yoga instructor
> in Mumbai, suffered from serious self-esteem issues and lacked confidence.
> She had also been cheated of a large sum of money by a gym where she was
> employed. "Not only did chanting with utmost faith get me my money back,
> but
> it also gave me a sense of empowerment, enabling me to make sweeping
> changes
> both in my personality and career," she says. Today, she is so committed
> to
> the faith that she spends an hour chanting in the morning and evening. Her
> mother, who is also a follower, chants too and takes time out every day to
> counsel other members battling family and health problems.
>
> Which leads us to the other attraction of this faith - catharsis - through
> the surrogate family it provides. Says Sonal, "You tend to visit members
> in
> your area to support them and share their problems. You chant together and
> often become friends." Many youngsters who make the move from small towns
> to
> large cities find themselves isolated and friendless. The faith provides a
> support group of people who genuinely care about each other's well-being.
>
> However, some chanters encounter opposition from their family who worry
> that
> it could be a cult or require conversion. But Naveena makes it clear that
> they don't encourage members to join if their families aren't supportive.
> "The purpose of this practice is to spread harmony and peace amongst
> families and not be the cause of conflict," she says.
>
> Mumbai-based Riddhi Dave, 25, a theatre actor had to tackle a skeptical
> family and says, "At first my parents were very worried. They were
> concerned
> that I would convert and give up Hinduism. I had to explain that Nichiren
> Buddhism is a philosophy and not a religion and doesn't require
> conversion.
> They finally understood when they saw how much peace it gave me, that it
> was
> having a tremendous positive impact in my life."
>
> According to Riddhi, once you've brought Buddhism into your life, it's
> very
> hard to give it up because you witness the healing and transformative
> power
> it brings. "Today, if someone hurts or upsets me, the practice gives me
> the
> strength to rise above pettiness and vindictiveness. It has helped me
> behave
> in a more compassionate way towards people, made me a stronger person.
> There
> is a great sense of hope when you chant, that cuts through the despair."
> Most importantly, she says, "It's almost like it connects you to some
> deeper
> life force that brings an immense amount of joy into your life." Now who
> doesn't want that kind of happiness!
>
> The Lotus basics
>
> * Nichiren Buddhism is based on the Lotus Sutra, a 28-chapter guide Gautam
> Buddha put together at the end of his life where he says everyone can
> attain
> peace by awakening the latent Buddha within them. The secret to
> enlightenment, they say, lies in the three pillars - faith, practice and
> study.
>
> * This sect of Buddhism is a philosophy, not a religion and the Soka
> Gakkai
> advocates continuing with your own religion. It has over 12 million
> followers in 190 countries engaged in what they call the human revolution
> or
> to change for the better. India is tenth on the list in the number of
> followers and is the  fastest-growing.
>
> - The writer Rukhmini Punoose is a freelance journalist based in Mumbai.