I finished at Morehouse College on May 20, 2018, and I was a hell of a lot happier than when I had left Norfolk State University six years prior. Of course, there some differences. Cost, geographical location, my age. But the major difference, was that Morehouse College, I determined to chant nam myoho renge kyo everyday. At the time, I was trying to either get something that i wanted, or just to maintain an emotional equilibrium. However, as I chanted, I was polishing my life on the deepest level. The first proof of this was after I had cursed somebody out for pulling up a porn site on my laptop. There was a time when I thought that fussing and cursing people out garnered me a sense of power, and respect from other people. After this particular time, I didn't like that i had responded in that fashion. Eventually I realized that cursing people out was not garnering the results that I thought it would. Another time was when I was on the edge of 24. I decided to let myself have more fun. Once upon a time, when it came to parties, I was a 40-year-old in a 20-something body. But I allowed myself to have fun. It turned out to be exhilarating, and allowed me to establish the close friendships that I had sought with my first prayer.
I definitely began to see a transformation in November of 2015 when I determined to change so that my life would improve. And from that prayer came the chanting for the happiness of those who hurt me in the past, and the changing of so much anger over certain experiences into benefit. And it caused my relationships with the student body to change for the better. I have made friendships with people who were born between '94-'00. I never thought that would be a possibility. However, this was all byproducts of my own human revolution. Back at Norfolk State, I didn't care much about trying to understand other people. It was just mostly about me, and my shit, and my personal hell. The change in my experience started with the Hakeem in the mirror. Or as Nichiren himself wrote, "This is similar to a tarnished mirror that will shine like a jewel when polished. A mind now clouded by the illusions of the innate darkness of life is like a tarnished mirror, but when polished, it is sure to become like a clear mirror, reflecting the essential nature of phenomena and the true aspect of reality. Arouse deep faith, and diligently polish your mirror day and night. How should you polish it? Only by chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo." (WND-1, page 4).
