A LOOK TO THE EAST

When you talk about a folksinger like Suzanne Vega the emphasis is usually laid on the strength of her texts, on the simplicity of her movements and finally on the softness of her voice. On this occasion instead, I would like to talk about the life philosophy which Suzanne Vega has been embracing for several years: Nichiren Daishonin's Buddhism. For an individual, living in a Western country, taking a look at the East means getting in contact with a too vaguely defined reality, often similar to a fairy tale. The best way to face such a wide and complex subject is perhaps that of trying to make a very simple comparison. Nichiren Daishonin's Buddhism can be identified with the daily training of a modern athlete: so as the latter tries every day to better his performances, in the same way a Buddhist's devotee (a person practicing Buddhism) makes every effort to overcome his own limits, constantly developing energy and self-confidence. This life philosophy is based on the conviction that every man can influence his own environment, to which he is deeply tied. Moreover, a person who has accumulated enough energy so as to reach a high life condition will be able to solve his own problems and to teach his fellow beings to do the same. The fundamental practice of this Buddhism consists in chanting every day (in the morning and in the evening) the phrase NAM-MYOHO-RENGE-KYO and two chapters of the Lotus Sutra, which is the most important Buddhist teaching. NAM-MYOHO-RENGE-KYO is the Mystic Law of Cause and Effect permeating all the phenomena in the universe. Even if it may seem strange, chanting NAM-MYOHO-RENGE-KYO helps developing a great inner energy, which you can take advantage of, as which you like. It is as if you drew strength from our unexanstable source, which is your own life, the regenrating power of "MYO." The main goal of Nichiren Daishonin's Buddhism is that of teaching you to free yourself from your own sufferings. Its peculiar characteristic is that you can obtain clear evidence of its validity just by chanting and determining the goals you want to reach: the results will convince also the strictly rational mind of Western people.

Maurizio Molé
Translated from the Italian by Dora Longoni