The roar of a lion

There is a well-written and easy to digest American website on my type of Buddhism. It contains a sweet section called "Daily Encouragements" - a bit like the fabulously quaint "Thought for the Day" aired on the National Treasure that is Radio 4.

I've got into the subconscious habit of checking into this for a dose of daily encouragement. Well, we can all do with a helping hand. And especially in something so new and difficult as Buddhism. Today's words were colourful in that chanting is described as being "like the roar of a lion". Of course.

Hmmmm. This wasn't quite the still, small snippet of wisdom I had been expecting. But I've had the words in mind all day, and I like them more and more. They make perfect sense if you let them just sit in your mental inbox for a while.

I had infact popped into see a friend on the way to the gym earlier. She is just beginning to chant as a newbie Buddhist, although already a survivor of strength and an all-round beautiful soul. I am but one page ahead of her in the manual, so to speak.

We sat and chatted about this and that. We laughed at how weird it can feel to start - reciting medieval Japanese out loud to oneself. Taken out of context, yes we could appear to be somewhat barmy, or even of the "talking to oneself" nutty brigade. But it's a comforting practice to feel the vibrations of the poetic words resonate in your throat and chest. It's a strengthening act to know your polishing your vision, and building your spiritual muscles. How apt that I was sitting there in my gym kit, on the way to hone my pyhsical body on the treadmill...

My friend was keen to download an MP3 to chant along to. So online we jolly well went, and fiddled about with her painfully clunky dial-up and old Window's interface. Seemingly aeons latter, we gave up but promised to meet tomorrow for a local group session.

Chatting to her with my tiny morsel of knowledge made me aware of how far I've come in only 6 months. I can actually get through both sections of chanting without humilating myself dramatically. My pronunciation won't win me any prizes - but I'm at least putting on a good show. And I've benefitted enormously from the inner strength and calm it confers already. I can't imagine coping with my drop-dead deadlines and financial pressures now without this powerful invocation. I so much want my friend to feel this empowering force too.

Induge me with the roaring lion encouragement, if you will. It's the simplest of instructions ever, but it has made the profoundest of all differences. "It is by chanting powerful daimoku, like a lion's roar, that we can move the Buddhist deities, the protective forces of the universe. The voice is very important-it has profound power. While naturally being careful not to disturb your neighbors, I hope you will endeavor to chant cheerful and powerful daimoku that reaches all the Buddhist deities and Buddhas throughout the 10 directions."

Nam myoho renge kyo