Looking to the “Three Powers” for Patient Acceptance

Though deep in personal grief, Rev. Ryuei Michael McCormick knows that, through continued dedicated practice, he can nurture seeds of positivity within himself. “The power of the Buddha,” he writes, “is the power of believing that someone at some time overcame suffering and anguish in a mature, empathetic, and compassionate way.”

I WRITE THIS ARTICLE overshadowed by the death of my stillborn daughter, Avery. As an ordained minister of the Nichiren Shu, I am used to others asking how to cope with life’s suffering and tragedies. Now I must ask myself: Where do I find the power to get through this? It is not enough, even an insult, to people’s intelligence and basic human feelings to simply say, “chant about it.” However, in our lineage, it is true that chanting the Odaimoku mantra in joyful confidence is the vessel we use to gather, realize, and express the three powers that come together to overcome suffering and anguish. These three powers are the awe-inspiring power of the Eternal Shakyamuni Buddha, the power of the foundational merit of the practitioner, and the power of…

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Buddhadharma: The Practitioner's Quarterly (Digital) - 1 Issue, Summer 2023

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