Buddhist Chants and Prayers for Daily Living (Modern Buddhist Healing)

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In 1987 Charles Atkins was struck with Hodgkin’s disease and underwent the ravages of chemo-and radiation therapy. Throughout this illness he used his Buddhist training and the power of the mantra Nam-myoho-renge-kyo to carry him through the cancer treatments and allay his fear of death and doubts for recovery. During his stays in the hospital, he took every possible opportunity to comfort other cancer patients. His survival inspired him to share with others the healing techniques’ he has learned.

Atkins introduces us to the Buddhist master Nichiren Daishonin (1222-1281) and the healing teachings of Shakyamuni Buddha as laid out in the Lotus Sutra. Atkins explains how Nam-myoho-renge-kyo can be used to “undo” karma that has damaged our health. His example along with that of many others struggling with diseases as diverse as fibromyalgia, diabetic ulcers, breast cancer, high blood pressure, and mental illness provide a beacon of hope for those facing illness. Atkins’s book shows that with hope, faith, and prayer nothing is impossible.

About the Author

Charles Atkins studied and practiced magic, divination, and Eastern religions in the 60s and 70s, then began practicing Nichiren Buddhism in 1974 with the Soka Gakkai. He has been a professional freelance writer on mysticism, healing, and business since 1972.

Healing is part of every major spiritual tradition, and no tradition has carried healing to greater heights than Buddhism Regardless of your religious or spiritual path, this book will shed light on the role of meditation imagery, and prayer in the healing process in today s increasingly technological medical world, we need this wisdom more than ever.

Not long ago, I learned that a young man named Corey was critically ill. One day he was healthy, the next day he was bedridden. The doctors were perplexed and had difficulty making an accurate diagnosis. My old friend Tom asked me to chant for Corey. A few years earlier, Tom had approached me for help when his own young son, Adams, was diagnosed with leukemia. I sent Adams instructions on how to chant and use visualization to combat his illness. I wrote him letters and encouraged him by phone. Most of all, I prayed for the best possible result. Adams got well.

I was in a quandary, because Corey’s family had not asked me to help. Praying specifically for someone without their knowledge or permission is not always ethical. I felt that I should pray for and teach others about overcoming illness only when they directly asked me to do so. I always pray for the most positive result. Since 1987, either directly, or through my writings about Buddhist healing, I had helped hundreds of people who were facing serious illness, but I had never faced such a confounding situation as this.

I struggled with this dilemma for a few days, and then received word that Corey had finally been diagnosed with advanced non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and had taken a rapid turn for the worse. The next day, I drove 150 miles to Chicago to see him face-to-face, even though I was a complete stranger. Ten minutes before I arrived, Corey died.

Corey’s death drove home the importance of publishing a book on Buddhist healing. It is my experience that people desperately want a simple means to fight illness with their mind and spirit. People want a way to help their loved ones or friends who are facing a health crisis. After I had overcome advanced Hodgkin’s lymphoma in 1987, which included a mind-blowing near-death experience, I painstakingly researched the compendium of writings on alternative healing and Western medicine. Doing so was an enormous but passionate challenge for me. I knew that each area that I studied deserved a lifetime of research, but I settled on being thorough and obtaining a basic grasp of the subjects. That process of study led me to Tibetan Medicine, Traditional Chinese Medicine, Qigong, Ayurveda, yoga, Christian faith healing, Buddhism, prayer therapy, guided imagery, and the cutting-edge philosophies of such innovators as Herbert Benson, Deepak Chopra, Norman Cousins, Larry Dossey, and Carl Jung.

I was raised as a Lutheran and became a Buddhist in 1974. In that time, I developed a healthy respect for the beliefs of others, and especially for the sacred teachings of the world’s religions In my role as a messenger of modern Buddhist healing who emerged from a Christian upbringing, it has been difficult for me to comprehend why certain theist factions would damn non- believers or spiritually inquisitive people. Fear and faith seem incompatible to me. I merely seek the truth of existence in a world full of strife, inexplicable randomness, and paradox. When cancer struck me at age thirty-six, I learned that no one has a monopoly on the truth; there is something important to learn and cherish from all traditions. Chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo to overcome illness is nonsectarian.

As a professional writer, I published many articles about my experience and findings, culminating in the presentation of an academic paper and lecture on Modern Buddhist Healing at the Socially Engaged Buddhism and Christianity Conference, held in 1996, at DePaul University in Chicago. The day before I presented my findings on chanting and visualization, my father died unexpectedly of a heart attack. It seemed like the universe had punctuated the moment. Although I was stunned, I felt it was imperative to present the paper and go on with the lecture. The result of that effort was the seed for this book.

In order for chanting and visualization to work, you do not need to understand Buddhism or alternative medicine any more than you need to understand the complexities of engine design in order to drive a car. Prayer and meditation are elegantly simple in nature, and are absolutely free. Prayer is our direct communication link to the absolute reality of life and the universe. The essence of Buddhist healing is simple enough for a child to master in a few moments and profound enough to humble a skilled physician.

My aim is to help those who are sick and suffering to empower themselves, especially when there is little or no hope. Having been there myself, I know how difficult overcoming a major health problem can be. Fortunately, when I was facing the ravages of cancer and death, I already knew the secret to victory over illness and suffering. To extend my own life, I tapped into that utterly impervious aspect of consciousness that is within us all. This grand state of being is completely free from the agonies of fear, pain, or death. All may enter with a prayer; no one is denied access.

We will explore how many people have overcome chronic, psychosomatic, and organic illness through their use of the essence of the Lotus Sutra, as taught by the Japanese Buddhist master, Nichiren. Although my viewpoint is Buddhist, the message is applicable to all people. In my research, it was obvious that physical and psychological healing is not the exclusive domain of any one religion or methodology, including cutting- edge allopathic techniques of somatic medicine. Genuine healing through faith has been evident in all cultures and spiritual traditions since the beginning of recorded history. What separates healing based on the essence of the Lotus Sutra from other forms of healing is the scope of its power to positively transform incredibly difficult situations.

After I recovered from my illness, I was determined that no one else should ever have to face illness or death without an effective mind-spirit defense and the means to make peace with the absolute reality. My intention is to share with you the Mystic Law of life and death. It is my sincere hope you will experience great benefit, good health, and eternal happiness.

In my description of Buddhist healing, you will not be asked to look outside yourself to God or gods, saviors, intermediaries, saints, or priests for results. I will merely ask you to look inside yourself with an open mind, and summon forth the courage to take a new and exciting action for your future.