"Prayer is the courage to persevere. It is the struggle to overcome our own weakness and lack of confidence in ourselves. It is the act of impressing in the very depths of our being the conviction that we can change the situation without fail."
- Daisaku Ikeda
So it turns out, we are not powerless after all. Buddhism teaches that every person possesses limitless potential to manifest their desires and become truly happy. Not immediately, not magically, and not without persistent action, but through transforming our own hearts from a state of fear and doubt to one of unshakeable faith and conviction in our own creative ability. When we truly believe we are capable of overcoming any challenge, we naturally attract positive energy and our environment begins to change.
Prayer is not a request to an external benefactor, but a summoning of the courage, wisdom and strength that is found within our own lives—within the life of every human being. It is an uncompromising determination to triumph over our own human weakness, which manifests in self-centeredness, resentment and fear. It is a turning away from self-doubt toward a deep and powerful assertion of "I can!"
Building this kind of conviction is not easy. It entails a struggle to change the negative thought patterns and false beliefs which have dictated our behavior for so long that they have become like instinct. In order to change them, we must learn to recognize them, become aware of them working in our lives, and understand how they hold us back from realizing true and lasting happiness. We must stop seeking happiness outside ourselves and resist destructive impulses that give momentary pleasure or relief from pain. We must WANT to change. And then, we must make the determination to succeed, and never give up, no matter what. We start from where we are, at each moment, and never give in to defeat.
Choose happiness, choose courage, choose faith. And laugh much along the way!
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