a financial experience

Chanting nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo (NMHRK) does change ones life.

When I first started with this Buddhism, little I know about what impact it would have on my life! I had financial problems, was disapointed with the relation I was in and suffered on depressions. Agood friend that I known most of my life introduced me 6 yrs ago to this form of Buddhism. At first I was, like most people, very sceptical about it. Thinking he joined some sect or so. But seeing him change in a positive way, I tried it for the first time when he received his Gohonzon (a mandala scroll a.k.a. object of worship). Chanting NMHRK at first felt a bit strange but I discovered that i felt much better afterwards.

This friend told me to set a goal which I wanted to achieve for, let's say 3 months to reach. I wanted another job so I earned more money to resolve my financial problems. He also encouraged me not to give up. No matter what happened. Within 1 month I got a new job. At that time I didn't realy believe that it happened because I was chanting. After this positive change a nigative came along. A few months later I was evicted from the house I was living in at that time. Date; 9/11/2001! On top of that I broke up with the girl I was with at that time. Ending up living for a while with my parents.

During the time I was living with my parents again, I decided to receive my Gohonzon in an attempt to speed up things. On 5/5/2002, Liberation day of WWII in the Netherlands, I received my Gohonzon. Once I got it things really moved, I found a room to live in for my own and I got a opportunity to go to the European Centre in Trets, France. As a volunteer to protect the European Gohonzon, the centre and the members. Flights and stay paid by Soka Gakkai International Netherlands.

All this time I had a insolvence officer who i had to ask permission for almost everything I wanted to buy or go to. Each time it would cost extra money. During this stay at Trets the Dutch coordinator asked me to start to do the same kind of volunteer work at our National Centre at Zeist. So I took after 6 months of chanting this challenge. Some 1.5 yrs later I was asked by my chapterleaders to become an assistant District leader for one of the new formed Districts at Eindhoven, which i gladly apcepted.

Now, after 5 yrs of working to resolve my financial problems, the judge decided that I had earned my clean sheet. All the time I kept chanting for a good result. Also, the last year was a real turn point for me. Going to Trets for the 2nd time as a volunteer. Having 2 heartattacks within 48 + an emergency operation to plug a leak in one of my arterial vanes of my legs. But that's another story. Meeting my new girlfriend who is from India and, lucky me, also practices Nichiren Buddhism and is a member of Bharat Soka Gakkai. This is our sister organisation in India.

After all these years I now know that chanting really works and doing SGI-activities togheter with chanting can do "miracles". So I keep chanting and doing my activities. Just to encourage others and let other people see that this Buddhism really works!