Meet Michelle, just your average everyday girl who happens to practice Nichiren Buddhism. Find out how she stumbled upon this unique branch of Buddhism, and how it has impacted her life for the better; this is her story.

"Nichiren Buddhism: Michelle's Story"

Michelle:

"My name's Michelle, I'm 24, and I practice Nichiren Buddhism. I was very kind of confused, and didn't know what I really wanted to do with my life, and was really down, and feeling a little depressed, and um, I was paired up with this roommate who was the most optimistic, hopeful person you could ever imagine. She was so happy, and I was like, what, why are you this way. And she said basically it's this one line that you chant over and over again as a form of meditation. It's called Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo, and you sit cross-legged, or however way you feel comfortable with your arms out or up to your heart, and you just say the line over and over again. She would always say, if you have any questions ask me, so I began to ask more questions, and she was always helpful to answer them; so I started chanting a little bit.

I really feel like its really helpful, and really grounds me, and some people have amazing stories from it, some people experience a lot of bad things that happen to them. For instance, I chanted that my relationship will get better, and then it just totally ended, and I was like, what I didn't chant for it, I chanted for it to be a better relationship, but it just like disintegrated; but maybe that's to give way for something better in my life to happen, and I think that chanting helped me see that, rather than be depressed about that ending.

Nichiren Buddhism is definitely one specific type of spirituality or religious way of living, and I don't think it's for everyone of course, but I do think it has helped me. For me, I do think it has helped me in times of difficulty, and in times when I don't know exactly where I'm going or what I'm doing, but it helps you be okay with that everything is unfolding as it should be, or there's more than you realize in life."