Virginia Review of Asian Studies
STEPS TOWARDS CHANGE: A QUALITATIVE STUDY OF
NICHIREN BUDDHISTS IN NEW ZEALAND AND THEIR
EXPERIENCES OF PERSONAL TRANSFORMATION
VIKKI BAIRD
AUCKLAND UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY (AUT)
In collaboration with Dr. Mark Thorpe (AUT) and with additional thanks to Dr. Chris
Krägeloh (AUT)
Editor’s Note: This article is the further development of Vikki Baird’s Honour’s year Thesis
concerning her in-depth research on Soka Gakkai International in New Zealand. Ms. Baird
has edited her thesis for publication here as an article. VRAS has retained her use of
British spelling.
Abstract
Buddhism is a religion which is growing in popularity in New Zealand (Statistics New
Zealand, 2010) and around the world (Bluck, 2006; Métraux, 2010; Seager, 1999). It is also
an increasing topic of interest within psychology and the health sciences literature.
Buddhist meditation techniques have been linked with many positive physical and
psychological health benefits (Baer, 2003; Grossman, Niemann, Schmidt, & Walach, 2004;
Wallace & Shapiro, 2006). Much of the research in this area has been quantitative in
approach and has narrowly focused on a few select Buddhist practices whilst ignoring
others.
The present research aims to look at personal transformation in the lives of Nichiren
Buddhists practicing in New Zealand who are members of Soka Gakkai International (SGI).
Within SGI, personal transformation is referred to as human revolution (Soka Gakkai
International, 2011), which can be described as an accelerated and profound change
within the individual's life. It is this focus on accelerated and profound change that makes
research on SGI such an important topic of interest. Previous research on SGI in particular
has focused mainly on demographic details, member characteristics and the growth
patterns of the organisation in countries such as Malaysia, U.K., Australia, U.S.A. and
Canada (Métraux, 2010). The aim of this study was to investigate Nichiren Buddhists’
experiences of personal transformation and to explore any common themes which were
present in these experiences. Five respondents were interviewed in depth and the
resulting data was analysed using Braun and Clarke’s (2006) thematic analysis model to
determine the common themes relating to personal transformation. Three common
themes were discovered, these were: 1) Tapping into Buddhahood, 2) Activating the
Energy Engine and 3) Realising a Wonderful Interconnectedness.
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“A great human revolution in just a single individual will help achieve a change in the
destiny of a nation and, further, will enable a change in the destiny of all humankind.”
(Ikeda, 2004a, p. viii)
Chapter One: Introduction
Aim
This study aims to investigate Nichiren Buddhists experiences of personal transformation
and to explore any common themes that are present in these experiences. Using thematic
analysis, guided by a realist/essentialist theoretical approach, the study will seek to
expand knowledge of this particular Buddhist movement. It will also investigate whether
there are any common themes in Nichiren Buddhists’ transformation experiences which
are congruent with the current literature on change and transformation, or indeed if there
are any aspects of Nichiren Buddhists’ transformation experiences which could further
inform current therapeutic practices.
Issue and context
Buddhism is a religion that is growing in popularity in New Zealand and in many other
western countries. In the 1996 New Zealand census, 28,131 people indicated their religion
as Buddhist and that number has steadily increased to 52,362 people in the 2006 census.
Buddhism is the third most common religion in New Zealand after Christianity and
Hinduism (Statistics New Zealand, 2010). Soka Gakkai International New Zealand (SGINZ)
has approximately 1500 members and is the main lay organisation1 for practicing Nichiren
Buddhism in this country. Although still a relatively small movement in New Zealand,
globally the Soka Gakkai International (SGI) has approximately 12 million members in over
190 countries (Soka Gakkai International, 2010). However, considering the size in
membership of such a worldwide organization, very little research has been conducted
about Nichiren Buddhism in the context of psychology. Research has shown that the
membership of SGI organisations in various countries throughout the world is a
multicultural mix and the growth of SGI as a worldwide Buddhist organisation has been
put down to its success in appealing to a wide variety of people from diverse cultural and
religious backgrounds (Wilson & Dobbelaere, 1994). Within SGI there is a strong focus on
personal transformation; this personal transformation is referred to as ‘human revolution’
(Soka Gakkai International, 2011) and is an essential part of the daily practice of SGI
members. It is this focus on personal transformation and inner change within the
individual that makes research on SGI a relevant topic of study within the psychology
literature.
1
Lay organisation- a religious organisation made up of people practicing their faith within the realities of
everyday secular life and society.
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Methodology
The nature of a topic such as personal transformation, which is multifaceted and complex
(Wade, 1998), points to the use of a qualitative research design in order to allow for in
depth exploration of the subject matter (Braun & Clarke, 2006). Taking into consideration
the personal and experiential nature of the subject matter, individual semi-structured
interviews were considered to be the most appropriate method of data collection. The
research question, which asks; ‘what are the central themes which can be found in
Nichiren Buddhists experiences of personal transformation?’, points to the use of thematic
analysis, since this is an approach which can be used to identify themes and patterns of
living (Aronson, 1994). A realistic/essentialist theoretical approach was chosen as it was
felt that since this was the primary researcher’s first study in this area, it was desirable to
stay as close to the data as possible and to produce a report which highlighted the
essence of the personal transformation experiences for the participants.
Chapter Two: Literature review
The researcher wishes to make clear at this point that her knowledge lies within the area
of Nichiren Buddhism and therefore the literature focuses on this particular Buddhist
tradition as opposed to other Buddhist schools and theories. It is also important to clarify
that the terms SGI and Nichiren Buddhism shall be used interchangeably throughout this
paper. When discussing Nichiren Buddhism it should be noted that the author is referring
to Nichiren Buddhism as it is practiced and understood within SGI.
History of Buddhism
Buddhism originated in India approximately 2,500 years ago with Siddhartha Gautama
who was a prince of the Shakya clan. Gautama embarked on a quest to find spiritual
enlightenment, and after participating in numerous austere and demanding practices, it is
reported that he found enlightenment while meditating under an ancient fig tree known
in Buddhist legend as the Bodhi Tree (Bankart, Dockett, & Dudley-Grant, 2003). It was
subsequent to this event that Gautama became known as Shakyamuni which can be
translated as ‘sage of the Shakyas’. Following Shakyamuni’s attainment of enlightenment,
he travelled throughout India spreading his teachings to numerous followers. Those
disciples in turn, spread the teachings southward into Southeast Asia and eastward into
Tibet, Korea, China and Japan (Bankart et al., 2003). The Buddhism which spread to
Southeast Asia was to become known as Hinayana2 (the lesser vehicle) or Theravada (the
way of the elders). The Buddhism which spread through into Japan became known as
2
Hinayana - (also known as Theravada) a form of Buddhism which traditionally emphasises self-awakening
through strict adherence to established precepts and literal interpretation of Buddhist doctrine.
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Mahayana3 (the greater vehicle). As time progressed, a varying range of sects developed
within these two main streams of Buddhist teachings.
Within Mahayana Buddhism, Chih-I (538-597) was one of the original scholars in
China who extensively studied the Buddha’s teachings; he developed his own school of
Buddhism called the T’ien-t’ai school which practiced based on the Lotus Sutra. This
movement was then introduced to Japan by Dengyo Daishi (Saicho; 767-822) who was a
Japanese scholar and monk; he developed the Tendai school in Japan based upon the
teachings of the T’ien-t’ai school. During these times there were various other schools of
Buddhism in Japan, the main ones being Nembutsu, Pure Land, True Word and Zen
schools which based their practice on pre Lotus Sutra teachings.
Nichiren Buddhism has developed from the Mahayana stream of teachings and
bases itself on the teachings of Nichiren (1222-1282)4, a thirteenth century Japanese
monk and scholar who founded Japan’s only native school of Buddhism. Nichiren studied
many of the Buddhist scriptures and writings of the time, including the writings from the
T’ien-tai school in China and the Tendai school in Japan. He concluded that the Lotus Sutra
was the highest and most important teaching of the Buddha, since in the beginning of this
Sutra, the Buddha directs his followers to disregard his previous teachings explaining that
these were expedient means; “For those of dull capacities who delight in a little law…for
these I preach nirvana, I devise these expedient means” (Watson, 1993, p. 34). Directly
following this the Buddha introduces the path of the one Great Vehicle in which all people
can attain the Buddha way; “Up until now I have never told you, that you were certain to
attain the Buddha way. The reason I never preached in that manner, was that the time to
preach so had not yet come. But now is the very time, when I must decisively preach the
Great Vehicle” (Watson, 1993, p. 34). Nichiren, in his desire to enable all people to access
this one Great Vehicle, developed a practice which involved chanting the title of the Lotus
Sutra repeatedly5, a practice which any lay person could do, without having to go to a
temple or become a priest, in order to gain enlightenment. Nichiren believed that rather
than having to wait for future lifetimes, all people could gain enlightenment in the present
moment through chanting, ‘Nam Myoho Renge Kyo’6.
The form of Nichiren Buddhism practiced today by the Soka Gakkai stems from
Nichiren Shu, the “orthodox” sect of Nichiren Buddhism.
3
Mahayana - a form of Buddhism which places less emphasis on adherence to traditional precepts, but
rather emphasises altruistic practice, practitioners focus on attaining enlightenment for the benefit of self
and others.
4
Since his death, Nichiren has been known by several posthumous names intended to express respect toward
him or to represent his position in the history of Buddhism. Most common among these
are Shōnin 日蓮聖人 Saint or Sage, and Daishōnin 日蓮大聖人 "Great Sage". Preference for these titles
generally depends on the school to which a person belongs, with "Shōnin" being commonly used
within Nichiren Shū and Soka Gakkai.
5
Often referred to as chanting ‘daimoku’, practitioners chant the words ‘Nam Myoho Renge Kyo’
repeatedly.
6
Nam Myoho Renge Kyo - the ultimate law or truth of the universe according to Nichiren’s teachings. It
literally means devotion to Myoho Renge Kyo. Myoho Renge Kyo is the Japanese reading of the Chinese title
of the Lotus Sutra, which Nichiren regards as the Sutra’s essence.
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History and Philosophy of SGI
The Soka Gakkai was founded in 1930 by Tsunesaburo Makiguchi (1871-1944) who was a
Japanese educator and scholar; it began mainly as a group of educators who were keenly
interested in social reform of the education system at that time. However, as Makiguchi
became more involved with Nichiren Buddhism, the organisation developed into a
religious and social movement. During the Second World War, the Japanese government
arrested Makiguchi and his closest supporter Josei Toda (1900-1958) as thought criminals
in 1943 and in 1944 Makiguchi died in prison. Josei Toda was released after the war and
from there Soka Gakkai developed rapidly in Japan as a social and religious movement
that promoted the concept of self-empowerment and happiness for all.
Toda developed the term ‘human revolution’ to express the central idea that all
people could attain enlightenment7 in their lifetime and manifest their full potential as
accomplished and happy individuals capable of creating value in their own lives and in
society. After Toda’s death, his closest supporter Daisaku Ikeda (1928-- ) became
president of the organisation in 1960. From this point on, Ikeda further developed the
organisation into a global socially engaged Buddhist movement that concerned itself with
all spheres of life, particularly peace, culture and education. SGI (Soka Gakkai
International) was founded in 1975 on the island of Guam, and since then it has spread to
192 countries and territories throughout the world (Soka Gakkai International, 2010). Soka
Gakkai was initially associated with the Nichiren school, however, in the early 1990s a split
between the two groups meant that SGI was excommunicated from the Nichiren School.
From that point on SGI became an independent lay Buddhist organisation.
Nichiren Buddhism as it is practiced within SGI differs from other kinds of Buddhist
practices in the sense that its philosophy is strongly pragmatic, and its means of salvation
are more accessible and immediate (Dawson, 2001). There is also a strong focus on
transformation and grappling with life’s daily challenges rather than accepting or letting
go. Furthermore, Nichiren Buddhism does not promote the idea of Nirvana, nor does it
describe enlightenment as the absence of suffering. Enlightenment for SGI members
involves the cultivation of wisdom, courage and compassion on a daily basis, amid the
realities and the challenges of life (Hochswender, Martin, & Morino, 2001). Practitioners
do not seek to distance themselves from the difficulties of daily life, but rather understand
that Buddhahood or ultimate happiness is to be experienced within these daily realities
(Dudley-Grant, 2003). Nichiren Buddhism also has a strong emphasis towards empowering
the individual and promoting one’s self-development. As Wilson and Dobbelaere (1994)
describe the practice, “one takes responsibility for oneself, and chanting has a powerful,
albeit not exclusive role in self-transformation. Realising ones true identity, transcending
ones karma, coming to terms with reality by using the Gohonzon8 as a mirror of one’s own
7
Enlightenment in Nichiren Buddhism refers to inherent enlightenment, or the attainment of Buddhahood
in one’s present form; it is the act of becoming awakened to the inherent Buddha nature and ultimate
potential which resides within every human life.
8
Gohonzon - the object of devotion in Nichiren Buddhism. A scroll of paper inscribed with calligraphy first
created by Nichiren in thirteenth century Japan and now replicated and given to practitioners today as an
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individuality - all of these central preoccupations reflect the extent to which Nichiren
Buddhism focuses on self-improvement and self-help” (p.186).
Soka Gakkai International New Zealand (SGINZ) currently has approximately 1,500
members and is the main lay organisation for practicing Nichiren Buddhism in New
Zealand (Soka Gakkai International of New Zealand, 2011). Although still a relatively small
movement in New Zealand, research has indicated that Nichiren Buddhism as practiced
within SGI is a growing movement in many western countries (Machacek & Wilson, 2000;
Métraux, 2010). However, considering the membership of such a worldwide organisation,
very little research has been conducted specifically about Nichiren Buddhism in the
context of psychology.
One of the possible reasons as to why SGI has grown so consistently in many western
countries may be because of its success in merging the traditional ideals and philosophies
of Buddhism with new ideas from modern thinkers and popular western psychology.
Within SGI publications, there are many discussions based around Buddhism and
psychology, notably the current SGI president, Daisaku Ikeda’s dialogue with Martin
Seligman, entitled ‘learning to hope’ (Ikeda, 2004b). It would be impossible to give a full
overview of the core principles and practices of SGI in this report, however, the main
concepts are summarised below.

Changing poison into medicine – Practitioners of Nichiren Buddhism are taught
that negative events in particular provide the opportunity to develop one’s life and
to transform one’s negative karma. As Dockett (2003) explains practitioners learn
how to take any adversity and use it as a cause for growth and self-development.
This is consistent with recent psychological research on post-traumatic growth
(Calhoun, Cann, Tedeschi, & McMillan, 2000; Garland, Carlson, Cook, Lansdell, &
Speca, 2007). It involves a component of cognitive reframing and is consistent with
psychological cognitive approaches to converting negative events into positive
outcomes (Dockett, 2003).

10 worlds and mutual possession of the 10 worlds - This theory explains that there
are ten basic life conditions, and individuals will fluctuate through any of these ten
conditions from moment to moment. The ten worlds are: Hell, Hunger, Animality,
Anger, Tranquillity, Rapture, Learning, Realisation, Bodhisattva and Buddhahood.
The mutual possession of the ten worlds refers to the fact that each of these ten
worlds also contains the other nine within it. In Nichiren Buddhism, this concept is
essential for the understanding of the transformation process. Essentially the
mutual possession of the ten worlds means that even within the lower states of
hell or anger, there is the potential to access the life condition of Buddhahood, and
therefore, to pull out the positive qualities of that life state at any time, no matter
how the person may be feeling or what the circumstances are.
object of worship. It is an embodiment of the law of Nam Myoho Renge Kyo, expressing the lifestate of
Buddhahood which all people inherently possess.
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
Nine levels of consciousness (See figure 1) - A theory which originated from the
T’ien-t’ai school and adopted by SGI as a way of simply explaining the workings of
consciousness. Practitioners of Nichiren Buddhism believe that the ninth state of
consciousness (the state of Buddhahood) can be accessed immediately
(enlightenment) through chanting and that this is more powerful and far reaching
than the levels of the mind, ego or any karmic patterns of actions that they are
currently experiencing in their lives. This is a profound concept for change as it
allows practitioners to feel that they have access to this power within their lives,
which runs deeper than any behaviour or thought patterns that they are currently
experiencing.
Figure 1- Illustration of the nine levels of consciousness

Oneness of self and environment (Jpn: Esho Funi) - Explains the relationship
between human life and its environment. Although seemingly two distinct and
separate phenomena, human life and its environment are fundamentally
connected and exist in a relationship of ‘funi’ (two but not two). Practitioners of
Nichiren Buddhism are encouraged to believe that they can affect major change in
their environments through their own inner transformation.

The shared commitment towards world peace (Jpn: Kosen Rufu) - The theory of
personal transformation leading to societal transformation is represented by the
idea of practitioners taking ‘bodhisattva’ or compassionate action to help others
(Dockett, 2003). A ‘bodhisattva’ is a person of great compassion who is motivated
by a commitment to “complete self transformation and complete world
transformation” (Thurman, 1996, p. 77). In SGI, members are encouraged to not
only focus on their own happiness, but to also work for the happiness of others.
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The shared commitment to world peace is the overall aim of SGI and members are
encouraged to come together and take action towards this goal.
Spirituality, Buddhism and Psychology
Mindfulness and transcendental meditation have received much attention from
psychology and the health sciences literature in the recent years (Bonadonna, 2003; Kabat
Zinn, 2003; Mace, 2007; Marlatt, 2003). Mindfulness in particular is a growing practice
originating from Buddhist traditions, which has been incorporated into various
psychotherapeutic models and practices. The role that spirituality and faith practices play
in psychological wellness is becoming increasingly acknowledged. In 1994, a special
category for religious and spiritual problems was introduced in the DSM-IV (Kasprow &
Scotton, 1999). In the international research by the World Health Organisation Quality of
Life Group, spirituality has been acknowledged as a fundamental factor that influences
quality of life (WHOQoL SRPB Group, 2006). Furthermore, Diener and Biswas-Diener
(2008) have proposed that there are ‘active ingredients’ in some religions which may
contribute to happiness. They suggest some of these to be: comforting beliefs (especially
around the idea of life and death), social support, connection to something permanent
and important, the experience of ritual and the link between spirituality and positive
emotions.
According to Pargament’s (1997) review of 40 studies, positive religious reframing
has been found to be a helpful type of coping activity. Buddhist doctrine requires the
individual to cognitively reconstruct traumatic experiences and therefore foster
psychologically healthy adaptations. Dockett (2003) theorises that from a Nichiren
Buddhist perspective, the key to performing these kind of reconstructions seems to lie in
part in internalising the teachings of (a) oneness of life and its environment (b) karma (c)
changing poison into medicine, and (d) viewing crisis as an opportunity for growth. She
further compares these processes to Finkel’s (1975) trauma strengthening conversion
process, a reframing of the problem that focuses on the potential for gain and promotes
an orientation toward internal control and challenge.
Transpersonal psychology is also a growing movement which acknowledges the
crucial role that spirituality can play in the context of human psychological development
and wellbeing. Kasprow and Scotton (1999) in their review of transpersonal theory and its
application to the practice of psychotherapy, state that the ultimate goal should be not
merely to remove psychopathology but to foster higher human development. They
suggest that spiritual experiences, because they are widely reported across all cultures,
are worthy of rigorous scientific study and inattention to spiritual experiences can
constitute a limitation in conventional psychotherapeutic practice and research.
Furthermore, Rubin (1999), who has written extensively on the links between Buddhism
and psychology, explains that the Buddhist vision of health points towards possibilities for
self-awareness, freedom, wisdom and compassion that goes beyond the traditional ideas
of western psychology.
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Research on SGI
Wilson and Dobbelaere (1994) carried out a comprehensive study of the membership of
Soka Gakkai Buddhists in the UK. In this study they sent out 1,000 postal questionnaires to
SGI members in addition to conducting individual interviews with 30 members. Although
participants were encouraged to talk freely about their experience of Nichiren Buddhism,
the study did not explore in depth participants’ experiences of change or transformation.
This research was based within a sociological research context and was therefore
predominantly concerned with describing characteristics, such as age, employment and
geographical distribution of membership. This study did, however, compare SGI members’
attitudes and values in various areas compared with the national population results from
the European Values Study, of particular interest was the comparison in attitudes towards
change. These results indicated that SGI members were less conservative and more
disposed towards change than the general population results for the United Kingdom.
Specifically, they were more open to exploring new ideas, welcoming changes which
occurred in their lives by seeing these events as opportunities and also being prepared to
take bold action towards change.
There have been other similar studies carried out looking at the growth,
membership patterns and daily practices of SGI in the United States of America, Canada,
Southeast Asia and Australia (Hammond & Machacek, 1999; Métraux, 2010). These
studies have been mixed method and extensive in their approach, although they have
predominantly taken a sociological perspective, focused on giving an overview of SGI
practices or examining the patterns of growth in membership, rather than exploring the
lived experiences of practitioners in depth.
Substantial theoretical links have been made between Nichiren Buddhism and
western psychology in the book “Psychology and Buddhism: From Individual to Global
Community” (Dockett, Dudley-Grant, & Bankart, 2003). In this book Nichiren Buddhism
theories have been discussed in relation to various western psychological theories,
covering areas such as addictions and stress, as well as individual, organisational and
societal transformation. However, these discussions are theory based rather than
research based, therefore it is difficult to establish the validity of their claims.
More recently, Brick (2005) analysed 800 self-reported written narratives by Nichiren
Buddhists published between the years of 1997-2003 in various SGI publications.
Mezirow’s (1991) transformative learning model was used as a base for the analysis. The
study yielded three characteristic beliefs and actions of Nichiren Buddhists which
appeared to accelerate the transformative learning process. These were: a) acting on a
shared vow or vision, b) exchanging stories of transformation, and c) actively expressing
gratitude for everything they experience. This study was extensive in the data that it
examined, although its limitation was that it solely focused on written narratives, which
does not allow the researcher to investigate a topic in as much detail as individual in
depth interviews may allow.
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Psychology, personal growth and transformation
The growing movement in psychology is towards recognition of human beings’ ability for
personal growth, self actualisation and flourishing. The move towards a positive
psychology of human potential had its beginnings in the humanistic movement which
developed in the 1960s. Carl Rogers and Abraham Maslow are often viewed as the
forerunners of the movement. Roger’s (1979, p. 98) person-centred approach to therapy
is based on the idea that “the individual has within him or herself vast resources for selfunderstanding, for altering the self-concept, basic attitudes, and his or her self directed
behaviour- and that these resources can be tapped if only a definable climate of facilitative
psychological attitudes can be provided”. He stated these facilitative psychological
attitudes to be congruence, unconditional positive regard and empathetic understanding.
Roger’s contemporary, Abraham Maslow, studied the area of human potential in depth
with his studies of individuals who he felt were examples ‘self actualising’ people. Some of
the characteristics he found in these people were: a keen sense of reality, being able to
see problems in terms of challenges, reliant on own experiences and judgment, being able
to accept others as there are, not susceptible to social pressures, compassionate,
comfortable with oneself and excited and interested in everything (Maslow, 1950).
Maslow also developed a hierarchy of needs model which suggests that self actualisation
can happen once other basic needs are met, such as, biological needs, safety needs,
belongingness needs and esteem needs (Maslow, 1970).
More recently, Fredrickson’s (1998) broaden-and-build theory has made a
substantial impact within the field of positive psychology. This theory proposes that
positive emotions serve to broaden peoples’ thought action repertoires and enable them
to build lasting personal resources. Her theory highlights the importance of experiencing
positive emotions in order to realise psychological gains, which can move individuals
above and beyond their regular levels of functioning.
It is also being recognised that traditional psychological ‘coping’ approaches to
stress or trauma have the potential to be developed further beyond the stages of ‘coping’
in order to foster higher states of wellbeing and growth (Calhoun et al., 2000; Garland et
al., 2007; Tedeschi, Calhoun, Linley, & Joseph, 2004). For instance, Aldwin (2000) has
extensively reviewed the stress and coping literature and has suggested that more
research is needed to understand the transformational aspects of coping. She proposes
that understanding how people can transform themselves through the process of coping
with stress, can contribute greatly to positive mental health practices in the future.
In comparison to the psychological literature, management literature is replete with
discussions on transformation, at an individual, organisational and society level (Neal,
Lichtenstein, & Banner, 1999).
While in the education literature, Transformative Learning (Mezirow, 1991) is an
area extensively researched and applied in modern-day education systems. Mezirow
suggested a three-stage model of transformation that incorporates the generation,
transformation and integration of consciousness. Furthermore, for transformation to
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occur, an environment conductive to self-reflection is required (Boyd & Myers, 1988).
Additionally, Taylor (1998) reported that it is this kind of transformation within a group
context that gives individuals more courage to initiate social change.
The changing times and global crisis’s that we are facing as a human race, now
more than ever are demanding a shift in human consciousness. Psychology as the science
of the study of the human mind has a potentially crucial role to play in this movement.
Furthermore the area of counselling psychology which concerns itself with human
wellbeing, self actualisation and the prevention of problems (Stanley & Manthei, 2004)
while also working to “enable and empower clients experiencing atypical and typical
problems of living to enhance their personal, educational and vocational functioning”
(Cooper, Frewin, Gardiner, O'Connell, & Stanley, 2002, p. 17) is in the prime position of
being able to introduce this notion of personal transformation into daily practice and
awareness.
Defining personal transformation
Transformation is a concept that has been widely defined in the literature. Ferguson
(1980) defined personal transformation as an evolutionary process in which one is able to
see the world in a new way; he also described it as the “state of being conscious of one’s
consciousness” (p.68). Furthermore, Wade (1998) describes transformation as a
movement from an ego-centered attitude to an attitude of ego-transcendence. He also
suggests that the key of the transformation process is the shift away from fixed beliefs to
an expanded view of reality. Taber (1983) explains transformation as “awakening and
unfolding the neglected potential of human consciousness” (p.105). While Wildermeersch
and Leirman (1988) explain that when transformation occurs, individuals adopt a new self
definition, a new passion for life and a greater sense of empowerment. The term personal
transformation is frequently linked to concepts such as transcendence or connection with
the unconscious or spiritual realms of awareness. In comparison, the concept of personal
transformation in psychology is closely related to personal change (Becker, 1964) or
psychotherapeutic change (Bänninger-Huber & Widmer, 1999; Martin, 1994). This
personal change from a psychoanalytic perspective involves the illumination,
transformation and expansion of the individual’s subjective world (Stolorow, Brandchaft,
& Atwood, 1987). The psychoanalytic approach to fostering this kind of profound inner
change in a client identifies three common therapeutic dimensions, these are summarised
by Rubin (1999) as: a) Cognitive insight, b) Affective bond with the analyst, and c) The
integration of formally dissociated experience.
Wong, Wong and Scott (2006) describe personal transformation as being different
from cognitive reframing in the sense that it is “proactive… an on-going holistic change
process” (p.3). They further define personal transformation as a change in one’s personal
meaning-value system, worldview, lifestyle and aspects of one’s personality as a result of
enlightenment, spiritual conversion or personal growth. They also suggest that modern
western psychology would greatly benefit from research on the adaptive functions of
personal transformation, especially in the areas of stress and coping. They argue that
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traditional western psychology focuses mainly on stress and coping, while personal
transformation actually moves beyond this to a space much larger and deeper than the
stressful event, that transformation is something that takes place in the deepest recesses
of the human spirit.
Recently, a study was carried out by Vieten, Amorok and Schlitz (2006) exploring
the concept of personal transformation. They conducted an in-depth qualitative study to
identify factors common to the transformation process across different traditions. Forty
seven respondents were interviewed; the participants were either religious or spiritual
teachers, scholars of religion, spirituality or conscious transformation movements, or
speakers or authors of a philosophy of transformation. The questions focused on such
topics as what constitutes a conscious transformation, what practices or activities
cultivate transformation, how these experiences are translated into lasting shifts in
worldview and what outcomes result from these experiences and practices. Their findings
suggested four main outcomes of transformation: a) compassion and altruism b) different
perspectives on pain and suffering c) greater capacities for relatedness, and d) less
isolation and greater sense of community. They found that these outcomes seemed to be
cultivated by three main experiences which were; a) experiences of oneness and
interconnection, b) shifts in perspective and c) changes in sense of self and self in
relationship to others.
Within SGI, personal transformation is referred to as “Human Revolution” and is a central
component of the practice. Ikeda (2010) describes human revolution as being able to see
past one's ordinary, everyday world and striving to achieve a more profound, more allembracing state of life. He distinguishes human revolution from normal personal growth
in that it occurs when we transcend the normal pace of growth and undergo a rapid
change of character for the better. It is a revolution of character in which people change
their fundamental attitudes and ways of thinking and focus their minds and their actions
on a higher good. Ikeda (2010) goes on to say that this process of human revolution
happens when we fuse our lives with our enlightened and inherent Buddha nature,
through this process, we can tap the power to change our lives in a fundamental way.
The primary methods used by Nichiren Buddhists are chanting, study, and
incorporating their Buddhist practice into daily life (Soka Gakkai International USA, 2011).
Discussion meetings which take place in members’ homes provide group support. At these
meetings members have opportunities to learn more about the practice through sharing
their experiences and studying together.
The result of this personal transformation for some SGI members seems to be life
changing. In the study carried out by Wilson and Dobbelaere (1994) in the UK, members
claimed that their practice of Buddhism had helped them to overcome various
psychological, health and relationship problems. These problems included asthma,
eczema, cancer, epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, drug addiction, alcoholism, depression, and
marriage problems.
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The focal point of practice for SGI members is accelerated and profound change.
This concept is a worthy topic to study at a greater depth. Using qualitative methodology
to investigate individual’s experiences of personal transformation in depth may lead to
further research which can inform modern psychotherapeutic practices in greater detail
about the mechanisms which lead to effective and long term change within the individual.
As has been previously mentioned, there is a comparatively limited range of research that
has been conducted about SGI or Nichiren Buddhism. This study aims to add a fresh
perspective by exploring in depth SGI members’ experiences of personal transformation
through their practice. It shall add a psychological perspective to the already well
established sociological research on SGI. Moreover, it may provide some empirical support
for the theoretical discussions proposed by Dockett and colleagues (2003). It also has the
potential to expand or add to Brick’s (2005) findings.
Chapter Three: Method
Methodological approach
This research seeks to investigate Nichiren Buddhists experiences of personal
transformation. For the purpose of clarity, the research question was conceptualised as:
What are the common themes of Nichiren Buddhists’ experiences of personal
transformation?
Qualitative research has been chosen as the best approach for this study as it
allows for an in-depth exploration of the subject matter by uncovering the personal
experiences of the participants’ transformation processes. Qualitative research has also
been reported to uncover the unfolding patterns associated with the transformation
process (Wade, 1998). This indeed may be why much of the research related to personal
transformation has been qualitative (Vieten et al., 2006). DiCicco Bloom and Crabtree
(2006) describe the purpose of a qualitative research interview as a way to contribute to a
body of knowledge which is conceptual and is based on the meanings that life experiences
hold for the interviewees.
Thematic analysis was chosen as the methodological approach for this study as it is
a technique for identifying themes and patterns of living (Aronson, 1994). It also allows
the researcher to access a wide variety of phenomenological information (Boyatzis, 1998),
in which case it was considered an appropriate method for identifying common elements
in Nichiren Buddhists’ personal transformation experiences. Thematic analysis also offers
flexibility through its theoretical freedom and can provide a rich, complex and detailed
account of the data (Braun & Clarke, 2006). Additionally, it can also allow for further
interpretation of various aspects of the research topic (Boyatzis, 1998).
The data shall be viewed through the lens of an essentialist/realist theoretical
stance, as the research is predominantly concerned with the “experiences, meanings and
the reality” (Braun & Clarke, 2006, p. 81) of the participants’ worlds. The desire was to
stay as close to the data as possible, to highlight the essence of the participants’ personal
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transformation experiences while also staying close to the lived reality of those
experiences. An essentialist/realist approach was also considered to be appropriate since
this was the primary researcher’s first study in this area.
Participants
Recruitment of five participants was conducted through purposive sampling using the
primary researcher’s personal networks within SGI. Purposive sampling was chosen as the
preferred recruitment method as it seeks to maximise the depth and the richness of the
data to address the specific research question (Kuzel, 1992).
The inclusion criteria was as follows: participants had to be Nichiren Buddhists who
were members of SGI New Zealand, have practiced for five years or more, be over thirty
years old, fluent English speakers, and have had a specific experience of personal change
or transformation to share. It was felt that in order to maintain the richness of the data it
was important to select participants who had a minimum of five years of experience of
practicing Buddhism within SGI. It was expected that these people were more likely to
have a developed a well-refined understanding of the practice and potentially would be
able to provide insightful self reflections drawn from a balance of their own experience
and a thorough understanding of the practice in their daily lives. The inclusion of the age
criteria was to also account for the participants having had enough years of life experience
to be able to reflect on the concept of personal transformation within their own lives, also
it was ethically required that participants were selected from the senior divisions in order
to avoid conflicts of interest in terms of the interviewer’s personal responsibilities within
the organization.
The requirement for accurate data collection and the consideration that personal
transformation is a potentially complex topic also meant that participants had to be fluent
English speakers and that they were required to have had a specific experience of
personal transformation which they felt confident to discuss in depth. Participants who
met all of the above criteria were selected by the researcher and asked if they would like
to participate via an initial email in which the outline of the research was described and an
information sheet attached. Those who responded with interest were then contacted (by
phone or face to face) by the primary researcher to discuss any further details or
questions which they may have, if participants agreed to take part, then at this stage
interview times and locations were arranged. Participants were able to request an
interview time and location which was most appropriate for them. Four participants
requested the interviews take place at their homes, while one participant requested that
the interview take place at the researcher’s home.
Data collection
Semi-structured interviews formed the basis for the data collection. Face-to-face
individual interviews lasting between 45-80 minutes were carried out with five
participants. Open-ended questions were asked during the interviews, each interview
started with the initial question: “Can you please describe, in as much detail as possible,
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about a specific time in your life in which you feel your Buddhist practice has helped you to
change or transform an aspect of your life?” It was anticipated that due to the nature of
participants who would be taking part, that most would be happy to openly share their
personal experiences. Questions chosen were purposively wide in order to facilitate the
interviewee to talk more and tap into their own experience. In following the guidelines set
out by Dicicco-Bloom and Crabtree (2006) initial questions were kept broad and open
ended, while reflecting the nature of the research and being non-threatening to the
participant. Whenever a particular area of interest arose during the interview more
specific structured questions were asked to ensure accurate collection of the information.
These included; “Can you remember the moment that changed for you?” or “How did you
apply what you learned in your Buddhist practice into your daily life in order to affect
change?”
Data analysis
Interview data was analysed using the six-stage thematic analysis model recommended by
Braun and Clarke (2006) to seek and identify common themes in the participants’
experiences of personal transformation relating to their practice of Buddhism. The data
was transcribed by the primary researcher. After the initial transcription, interviews were
listened to again and compared against the transcriptions to check for any missing
information or mistakes in the write up. Once this checking process was completed by the
researcher, the transcriptions were returned to the participants for member-checking.
Once member checking was completed transcriptions were read and re-read a number of
times (approximately 5 times each), initial codes were generated by noting any points or
possible themes which seemed to be present on the side of each transcript in pen. Coding
was carried out systematically across the entire data set; once this was completed the
codes were collated and listed on one sheet of paper. These codes were then collated into
potential themes, and all data relevant to those themes were collected under those
headings in a separate word document, at this point there were seven potential themes.
Those themes were:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Active chanting
Interactive meetings
Expanding worldview
Realising potential
Connectivity
Encouraging others
Taking on the battle.
Themes and data were then reviewed and on-going reading and analysis was carried out
in order to further refine the specific elements and generate clear definitions and names
for each theme. It was a challenge with the data analysis at this stage as each theme was
somewhat intermixed with other themes within the data; this was possibly due to the
complexity of the experiences or the topic itself. Finally the seven initial themes were
refined down to three main themes and defined for the final report as:
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1. Tapping into Buddhahood (This embraced a majority of the initial themes such as;
‘expanding worldview’, ‘interactive meetings’, ‘encouraging others’ and ‘realising
potential’)
2. Activating the Energy Engine (Essentially the ‘active chanting’ theme from the
previous list)
3. Realising a Wonderful Interconnectedness (Developed from ‘Connectivity’ theme)
The initial theme of ‘taking on the battle’ was discarded at this point as it was not seen to
be as commonly or openly discussed in the data as the other themes. However, this shall
be considered in the discussion section of this paper as a potential sub theme which is
worth consideration for future research.
The final report was then written using the most vivid and compelling quotes from
the data which most succinctly summarised the themes. Themes were identified and
prevalence was counted in terms of each individual occurrence of the theme across the
entire data set (Braun & Clarke, 2006). It was felt that this method was most appropriate
for the purposes of answering the research question; what are the common themes of
Nichiren Buddhists’ experiences of personal transformation? This technique of counting
the prevalence of themes in terms of each individual occurrence provides a rich overall
description of the main themes across the entire data set, Braun and Clarke (2006) also
suggest that this method is particularly useful when investigating an under researched
area or when working with participants whose views on topics are not known. In this
case, personal transformation is a relatively under-researched area; hence it would be
suited to this kind of analysis. In addition, it was the first research of this kind carried out
with SGI New Zealand members so their views on the topic were not previously known.
A predominantly inductive approach was used to identify themes which were
strongly linked to the data in question (Patton, 1990), however, as Smith (2004) reports,
in practice it is common for the data analysis process to involve interplay between
induction and deduction methods. This was the case with this study as the data analysis
was also predominantly guided by the research question which was looking for common
themes in Nichiren Buddhists’ experiences personal transformation. It was also informed
to some degree by the researcher’s understanding of Nichiren Buddhism and the
psychological literature on factors relating to change and personal transformation.
Themes were identified at a semantic level for explicit meanings (Braun & Clarke, 2006)
and then organized to show patterns in semantic content, once the themes were
summarized, then an attempt was made to theorize the significance of the patterns and
their broader meanings and implications (Patton, 1994).
Ethical considerations
Ethical approval was gained from AUT University Ethics Committee on 21st June 2011.
Throughout the research The Treaty of Waitangi principles of partnership, protection and
participation were used as the ethical base of the project. Participation in this research
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was voluntary and informed consent was obtained from each participant and recorded
through the signing of a written consent form. Privacy of participants was protected by
ensuring that no personal identifying information was used in this report. Participants
were asked to provide pseudonyms which were used in the transcriptions and final report
in order to further protect participants’ confidentiality.
An official request was sent to the SGI Headquarters in Japan as well as the New Zealand
branch of the organisation, outlining the method, aim and rationale for the research, to
ensure that permission from the organisation was gained before any research was carried
out.
The primary researcher is a member and youth leader in the Soka Gakkai
International New Zealand and was aware of the potential conflict of interest regarding
interviewing members whom the researcher also had an organizational responsibility
towards. This was controlled for by ensuring that only members from senior divisions, in
which the researcher had no organisational responsibility towards, were asked to
participate.
Reflexivity
In order to contribute to the rigour of the research design in qualitative research it is
important that researchers make their assumptions explicit (Holloway & Todres, 2003).
Many of these assumptions stem from the researcher’s own life experience and personal
values which one brings to the research; therefore it is important for the researcher to
locate oneself within the research project in question (Thorne, Joachim, Paterson, &
Canam, 2008). In order to enhance the transparency of this project I as the primary
researcher (Vikki Baird) shall endeavor to explain my personal positioning in relation to
this research.
I am a 30-year-old Scottish female who moved to New Zealand eight years ago. My
interest in the area of research that I am looking at has grown from my own experiences
of personal transformation and practice of Buddhism within SGI. Over the past nine years I
have practiced Buddhism and experienced many challenges and opportunities for
personal growth during this time. In these recent years, I have moved from Scotland to
settle in New Zealand, overcome relationship difficulties and found the confidence to set
out on a completely different career path. In the recent years my life focus has gradually
shifted from pursuing hedonistic happiness and individualistic concerns to becoming much
more strongly aware of my responsibility as a global citizen in the world, with a strong
desire to contribute positively to society and to the lives of the people around me.
This shift in my focus has grown at the same time as my practice of Buddhism has
developed and my position as a youth leader in SGI has progressed to a senior leadership
role within the organisation. This awareness of how my personal growth has developed
alongside the practice of Buddhism as well as my observations of others in the practice
has inspired me to investigate more closely the concept of personal transformation and
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how other Nichiren Buddhist practitioners understand and experience it within their own
lives. In designing the research method I was very much aware of how my being so
involved in the topic under investigation could influence the interviews as well as my
interpretation of the results. To account for this I kept an audit trail of the decisions I was
making in a notebook, additionally after each interview I critically self reflected on the
process of the interview itself and the questions which I was asking, taking a written note
of anything which I felt I could improve upon for next time. Furthermore, I was able to
maintain a conscious awareness of this issue by meeting and discussing the research with
my primary supervisor on a regular basis; in this way he was able to give me constructive
feedback on how to stay open minded during the research process.
Chapter Four: Results
A total of five people participated in this study, four of which were female, one was male,
and their ages ranged from 41 to 53. Two people identified as Pākehā, two as Japanese
and one as Malaysian Chinese. The personal transformations they had experienced in
their lives related to overcoming fear and anxiety, overcoming depression, gaining self
confidence, and transforming relationships with others. The three overarching themes
that emerged from all the transcripts shall be discussed in this section in more detail;
these themes were:
1. Tapping into Buddhahood
2. Activating the energy engine
3. Realising a wonderful interconnectedness.
In this section I shall explain these themes in detail by giving examples from the data to
illustrate and then further highlighting the significant aspects of those examples by giving
a summary interpretation of the key points of interest within each example.
Tapping into Buddhahood
Tapping into Buddhahood was one of the key themes which emerged from the data.
Before explaining this theme it is important to first clarify what is meant by ‘Tapping into
Buddhahood’. Participants saw their Buddhahood as being a like a collection of personal
qualities and feelings, such as courage, compassion, wisdom, inner strength, absolute
happiness, and self belief. ‘Tapping into’ these qualities meant that the participants felt
like they could access and utilise these characteristics freely at any time. There were two
clear ways that participants explained they were able to do this, one was through chanting
and the other was through active participation at meetings. The following two sub
sections deal with these different processes of tapping into Buddhahood, the last sub
section explains tapping into Buddhahood in the context of participants’ personal
transformation experiences.
Tapping into Buddhahood through chanting
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All participants’ spoke at length about their practice of chanting which seemed to provide
them with an awareness of their own strengths and personal qualities. Two participants
talked about the idea of ‘tapping’ into their Buddhahood, and one talked about the idea of
calling it out of her system. Another participant talked about how the self belief he
received from chanting seemed to go to a much deeper level. All of these participants
seemed to share a feeling of having a deep inner confidence and happiness which they
could tap into at any moment through the process of chanting. Isabella explained how she
kept getting more and more glimpses of her Buddhahood through continued chanting:
We are chanting to be able to understand that we are Nam Myoho Renge Kyo… I
think that is exactly what happens when you chant, I think you open up and you tap
into your, well it’s so huge, but you tap into this state, this Buddhahood, which is
fundamental happiness and so you tap into a state in which you can look at life in
such a way that is free of doubt and fear and anger and all of the others states that
we have all the time. But if you keep chanting, you keep on, more and more,
getting glimpses of your fundamental Buddhahood, and your sense of worth, and
your sense of self esteem…then you can build that sense of self and that sense of
worth and that sense of happiness to the point where …you can’t help but start
moving forward.
Rachel explained her experience of tapping into Buddhahood as being something which
did not come naturally at first; rather it came through years of practice and conscious
effort, she explains how she has come to terms with the reality of her own Buddhahood:
When I first started practicing it was [really a] conscious effort, a decision almost,
like chant for courage, chant for wisdom, chant for life-force, but now I chant it just
wells up, it just wells up, yeah. Because when I first started practicing it was still a
struggle to really come to terms with the fact and the reality that I have this
wonderful stuff in me, I just can’t believe it, I have all this when in reality I’m just
the opposite, lack of confidence and sickly feeling, you know - I didn’t feel very good
about myself… but my leader was telling me that you have all this wonderful stuff
in you, so I had to bridge the gap, the reality and the ideal can be so very different…
and now I know it’s there… I just need to chant to tap it and when I tap it, it just
comes up it just wells forth.
From this section of the interview we can see that Rachel had to confront the
reality that the view she held of herself was very different from the view which her leader
held of her, this was something that took her a long time and much effort to transform.
She explains ‘I had to bridge the gap’ which gives a sense that she felt the distance
between the two ways of seeing herself and had to work hard in order to consolidate her
view of self in her perceived reality, into a view which fitted the alternative reality which
this leader was confronting her with, the reality that she had ‘all this wonderful stuff’ in
her. The last few lines show clearly the different view Rachel has of herself now. She is no
longer struggling to bridge a gap in order to get to another idea of herself, but is tapping
into something which is already there within her life, not only is it there but it seems to be
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there in abundance, she feels it is so much easier to tap into this wonderful stuff, it just
‘wells forth’.
Jo explained how through chanting she can actualise the idea of Buddhahood in her life; it
becomes more than a theory within her head but an actual feeling of having everything
she needs to face any situation in her life:
Everybody has Buddhahood, once you recognise that, it gives you so much insight.
But that is still within your head, and to [..] actualise the theory in your daily life is
chanting, Nam Myoho Renge Kyo is… like the name of your Buddhahood, you call it
out, you call it out of your system… by chanting [..] you get your inner power,
connection with the huge universe and you get the wisdom, courage, compassion.
Such a word is such a word, but literally you feel that, you get the strength that you
need, exactly what you need for the situation.
From this description Jo gives, we can get a sense of the strength and power which she
experiences as she calls out her Buddhahood through the process of chanting. For Jo
activating her Buddhahood means she can access and use her own inner strength,
courage, compassion and wisdom in exactly the right way that is required for whichever
situation she is facing.
Tapping into Buddhahood through active participation at meetings
Three of the participants also reported that they realised their own strengths and tapped
into their Buddhahood through their experience of active participation at meetings.
Isabella explained that giving study presentations and guidance at meetings helped her to
realise her Buddhahood in terms of her emotional intelligence and wisdom to help others.
This in turn provided her with a sense of empowerment which she could then utilise in her
own life:
I was constantly going to meetings and not only was I now listening to people but I
was also giving guidance to other people. And I think you start off doing these
classes thinking somebody is going to realise that I have absolutely no idea what
I’m talking about, but at the end of the study session, weirdly enough you’d go, you
know actually I do know a hell of a lot about peoples’ lives and I realised how
emotionally intelligent I was. And I think that’s grown and grown throughout my
practice, is realising, yeah my Buddhahood. It’s realising that I am actually a very
wise person… when it comes to Buddhism I feel like I can study and then relate that
directly back and help others and that was hugely empowering and strengthening
for my life.
In this section of the interview with Isabella we can see how she initially did not believe in
her own ability to give Buddhist guidance to others at meetings, however through the
process of participating she began to ‘realise’ her own wisdom and emotional intelligence
which she refers to as her Buddhahood. The use of the word ‘realise’ gives a sense that it
was something already there, just waiting to be uncovered, that she become consciously
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aware of it through this process. Realising that she had those strengths within herself to
give guidance to others was something that provided her with a feeling of power and
strength, which she could then use to overcome challenges in her own life.
Rachel in her interview discusses how being asked to emcee at a small meeting of
four or five young women was initially such a difficult thing for her that her leader had to
help her, however as she has continued to participate at meetings she has realised her
own ability to become an accomplished speaker who can easily speak in front of
audiences of 1,000 now. She attributes this to her growing belief in her own Buddhahood
which she has gained through her continued participation at meetings.
Another participant, Sonia, expressed how being asked to share her experience at
meetings helped her to realise her own strength to make herself happy:
At the beginning I wasn’t keen to share my experience, I didn’t want to talk in the
meetings, I just wanted to be a participant [..] but some member, intentionally or
not, asked me to share an experience and I was negative at the beginning, but the
more I expressed, I shared experience, I was excited, and then I realised, oh I do
know things that can make me happy.
Sonia actively participated in meetings by sharing her experiences and it was through this
sharing of her story to others which caused her to realise she had some tools she could
use within her own life to help herself become happy. Again the use of the word ‘realise’
gives a sense that Sonia was becoming aware of something which was already there.
Tapping into Buddhahood as a process of personal transformation
The previously mentioned participants each described how for them their practice of
chanting or active participation at the meetings is the way they connect with their inner
strength, self esteem and life force, or what they often more generally refer to as
Buddhahood, on a daily basis. Each of them also indicated that this was a daily practice
which they felt had enabled them to fundamentally transform the way they viewed
themselves. They described this as an ‘on-going’ and ‘dynamic’ process, a process in which
they felt they were continually growing and developing themselves and also their views of
the world. Rachel expressed her changing worldview ‘like the universe that keeps
exploding even as we speak.’ Jo talked of how she was initially not aiming to change but
she noticed that she was getting ‘wider’ in a way and that the things she was trying to
avoid were getting ‘smaller and smaller, less and less’. Isabella explains that she feels her
life has ‘expanded on so many fronts’.
This expansion and growth was not only expressed as an experiential phenomenon
for the participants but was also expressed as a concrete desire to take action. Rachel
explained how she has taken on a senior leadership role in the organisation and in this
role she is looking at ‘how to foster young people, how to inspire them, and in order to do
that, I have to be an inspirational leader…so I really have to focus on my growth’. Isabella
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reported that she felt one of her big missions since overcoming her own fear and worry
has been about ‘really giving hope to people who have so much fear’. She also explains
how she had starting chanting to overcome fear but that has transformed to looking at
‘what is my biggest dream in my life… and actually following that.’ Jo expressed how she
has transformed her relationships with others through becoming conscious of her own
patterns of behaviour. She takes action by no longer avoiding any person she finds
difficult, but by actively chanting to change the part of herself which is getting in the way
of connecting with that person:
I have a life tendency of trying to cut people off when I don’t like something, at that
point if you want to try and chant for that person’s happiness that becomes a kind
of a lie if your heart is not there. So I start chanting that there is a reason why I
don’t like that person, or why I don’t get along with that person, and I really want
to see it, I really want to change it.
From this quote we can see that Jo’s desire to take action has to start first from her heart.
She realises her limitations, that she cannot take action for someone else’s happiness if
her ‘heart is not there’, therefore she has found a way to challenge herself to chant in a
manner that gets her heart to that place where she can realise action. Jo is seeking to tap
her Buddhahood and concretely put it into action to transform her relationships with
others, to do this she has to work to change her own feeling first; this is where she can see
her process of personal transformation really taking place.
Activating the Energy Engine
Activating the energy engine was chosen for the description of this theme as it represents
in the participants own words the process of chanting as being the thing which activated a
noticeable shift of feeling, energy or motivation within them. All of the participants spoke
of the active element of chanting, for these participants it was the sound of the chanting,
the rhythm, the act of focusing on goals, or the feeling of energy which arose when they
chanted. For Isabella, focusing on the sound and active element of the chanting helped
her to overcome and transform her anxiety and worry:
For me it was through sound, it was the sound of peoples chanting and there was
something that when I chanted, when I did something that was active… then I
stopped worrying. When I was doing something where I was just sitting and
removing myself then I couldn’t remove myself I wanted to be involved... I have a
fast energy, so the idea of meditation, that it would take me god knows how long
to get to that point, just seemed crazy, there was no way, I didn’t have that time,
you know I really did think that I was perhaps going to die, that the cancer would
come back and that I wasn’t going to get through everything. I felt like I didn’t have
that time I just wanted to do it there and then. So chanting for me was amazing
because I could sit and I could start chanting and even just in that process of
chanting I would stop worrying… I wouldn’t be thinking about death in that
moment.
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In this extract Isabella explains that when she did chanting which was active, it
would stop her worrying. She explains that she has a fast energy and therefore she
wanted to be involved, silent meditation did not work for her because she felt the need to
use her energy on something, by chanting she was able to focus on doing ‘something that
was active’, which transferred her energy away from her mind and onto her voice. Isabella
also explains that for her chanting had an immediate effect which was important for her
at that moment as she explains through urgency of the words ‘I didn’t have that time, you
know I really did think I was perhaps going to die’.
Johnny also expressed a similar feeling, that he got much from the active element of the
chanting:
With chanting the mind is focused, it’s a great discipline because you are absolutely
there and you’ve got something to focus on…It’s very hard to escape or wander
when you are voicing something, of course you can, but you tend to be doing, it’s a
sort of physical thing and I really like that, the idea of actually doing something...
So it’s very active, it’s active visualization if you like… And also something in the
sound I think as well, you know, I think the vibration is really interesting.
Johnny enjoys the feeling of being ‘absolutely there’, by voicing something it is the
constant ‘doing’ which helps him to keep focused and stay ‘absolutely there’. He is also
sensitive to the sound vibrations of the chant. Later in the interview he describes how this
feeling is intensified when chanting with a group:
I love chanting with other people… I really get a lot out of it, it really lifts me,
absolutely, it’s almost like it goes through you, it’s like a vibration that goes
through you, it’s incredible, it really is a wave of energy that goes through you, it’s
incredible, very powerful. I think it really does magnify the whole thing when we
are together as a group chanting.
In describing the experience as a vibration that goes through him, Johnny is expressing the
physicality of the feeling of chanting that it is not just a sound but a vibration and wave of
energy that he experiences in his body. He also expresses how this physical feeling and
powerful energy is magnified when chanting in a group, which enhances and energises his
whole being. In another section of the interview Johnny also explained how he feels a
cheerful energy welling up inside him when he chants and that he feels that some really
positive part of his mind is activated during this time, so not only is the feeling in his body
but there is a feeling of change in mental activity in his mind. He further refers to this shift
in mental activity at another stage in the interview when he explains that he keeps a
notebook beside him while he is chanting because, ‘ideas just pour out.’ Later on in the
transcript he goes back to the feeling of physical energy he gets while chanting and
explains it like this:
it really is a sort of kick in the pants, it almost picks you up despite yourself, it just
drags you up by the collar and says ‘you’re going to damn well do it’, it’s really
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amazing, it’s like something else takes over, you’ve got no choice, just do it, it’s
very interesting, I’ve never had that before in my life, that sort of ‘get up and go… it
awakens something else inside you anyway, another whole part of you, that’s
connected, that’s switched on, that switches you on.
In this quote Johnny expresses this physical feeling of chanting like something that he can
feel is actually picking him up and urging him towards action. He also mentions that it
seems to ‘awaken’ something else inside him that is ‘connected’. There is a sense from
this description that he becomes more aware of his inner experiencing and the possibility
that he has another whole part of himself which has more potential energy to be tapped,
a part that is ‘switched on’.
Jo also spoke of the energy and positive feeling she experiences through her
chanting, she sees it as the thing that ‘activates’ her Buddhahood, and describes her
chanting as the ‘energy engine’ which results in action:
It really activates my Buddhahood, it’s like starting the engine, that’s the start, it’s
not the goal, we don’t chant for the sake of chanting, chanting is to really start
your engine, activate your whole being, every single cell… it’s really, how do you
say it, the motivation key, it’s, the energy engine I guess. It doesn’t mean that if you
don’t chant you feel lifeless or anything, but you can tell when you chant that your
very positive side wants to come out and do something. You just don’t want to sit
there and wait for something, you want to take action.
This quote illustrates how Jo physically experiences a change in her body, like something
that is activating ‘every single cell’. She expresses a desire not just to sit, but to do
something. Jo seems to experience a similar feeling of positive energy taking over as
Johnny did, which she describes as her positive side that wants to come out and do
something. Further on in the transcript, Jo also explained the difference she feels when
her chanting is working for her and when it is not, for Jo it’s a feeling that something
happens in her heart:
It’s almost like somebody put the fire in your heart, all of a sudden you are like
‘right I can do it’ It’s not here in your head [points to head] it’s something in your
entire being, almost like your chemistry changes sort of thing…it really shifts, every
single bit of your energy, your focus, into action, that’s daimoku to me, and you feel
that when you chant. But if you take it like, yeah daimoku is a nice concept, or a
nice theory, then nothing is going to happen even if you chant… it’s really practice,
faith, and action… if one is missing then you feel that, that nothing happens in your
heart.
Again we can see by this quote that Jo refers to this feeling in her entire being, she does
not refer to every single cell this time but rather explains it like her chemistry changes.
The physical change she feels in her heart is expressed like ‘somebody put the fire in your
heart’, this gives a sensation of the intensity of the feeling that Jo is experiencing at that
moment.
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Rachel also acknowledges the shift in energy when she feels her heart get involved in her
chanting. She feels her moment of transformation as an instantaneous connection
between her heart and her mind:
When the mind suddenly closes ranks with the heart it happens... when the mind
merges with the heart and it becomes in rhythm... your heart tells the mind this is
so, and the mind tells your heart; yes definitely.
Rachel experiences this energy shift as her mind and heart coming together in rhythm, her
heart and mind are no longer in conflict freeing that energy to be focused in one direction.
Sonia described her experience of chanting at a time when she was struggling in her
relationship with her partner, she initially talks about how she struggled to chant with him
and then describes how a shift takes place for her as she starts to enjoy the rhythm of
chanting together with him:
We started chanting every day in the morning, but all I did at that time was I
attacked him by chanting, like changing the tune, changing the tone, changing the
speed and I just provoked him… I was so horrible chanting that sometimes he had
to stop, ring the bell and watch me, then do it again. I always chanted, please,
please divorce happily… But after one month suddenly we had a rhythm, we had
really nice rhythm, same time to have a breath in, and a breath out, same, just the
same tune, same speed, same pause, just like singing together, it was beautiful, it
was really enjoyable like doing exercise together! I really enjoyed that, yeah I
couldn’t stop even after the time, I really enjoyed it.
In Sonia’s experience this shift in the rhythm of the chanting, changed her feeling
about the chanting, which she goes on to explain coincided with a shift in her feelings
towards her husband. Sonia describes the physicality of the chanting by saying that it was
like singing or doing exercise together. Her feeling of enjoying it so much that she did not
want to stop even after the time shows how emotionally involved she became during the
process.
Realising a Wonderful Interconnectedness
In this theme ‘wonderful interconnectedness’ refers to the participants’ positive feelings
towards being able to connect with others in meetings. While the use of the word
‘realising’ represents the participants’ experiences of becoming aware of how their close
connections with others affected and were related to their own personal transformation
experiences.
All participants expressed an appreciation of being able to meet with other SGI members
and they gained encouragement from those encounters in various ways. It seemed as
though each participant was on their own journey of seeking to understand, to connect, to
challenge themselves to apply their Buddhist practice to their daily lives, and they were
very much aware of how that personal journey was connected to others as well.
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Isabella spoke of the ‘wonderful interconnectedness’ of going to meetings and being able
to gain courage from hearing other members stories of how they overcame obstacles and
challenges in their lives:
This wonderful interconnectedness of everybody being able to talk and share that
and go ‘oh my god, how did you do it? I don’t know how to move forward, but how
did you make a determination?’
Isabella also spoke of her experience of the support she felt at the meetings from the
members when she was going through her cancer treatment:
What was amazing for me is to meet other people that were practicing… to [have]
small group discussions where you could talk so openly about how vulnerable you
were feeling… even though [..] they weren’t going through cancer but they could
understand, and I think the fact that they were practicing and could fundamentally
understand [..] fear at least. And could talk to me about how to deal with fear and
how to [..] look at understanding hope. So… even although we all have different
unique journeys, it was that ability for them to go well, ok here’s a study that you
can read that is particularly to do with that… And that was extremely helpful, so
this wonderful interconnectedness which is part of our Buddhism that you could
talk to people and they could directly relate to it, in its essential form, that it was
the essence of what you were talking about which they could relate to…I felt like
with the organisation people were really fundamentally listening to me and
although they were hearing my words, they were also understanding what
underlying thing I needed at that moment.
In this quote Isabella explains that what was important for her was not that the
other members understood her experience of having cancer but that they understood her
‘fear’. There is a distinction which she makes between these two things, one appears to be
a surface level experience and one is dealing with a more fundamental underlying need.
Isabella talks of people being able to understand the essence of what she was talking
about, indicating that it was not the surface understanding which she was seeking but
rather a connection at a deeper level, this is further indicated when she explains that it
was the ‘underlying thing’ she needed at that moment which she wanted people to
understand. She also indicates a desire to move forward from the fear, when she
mentions being able to look at ‘understanding hope’. This idea is reinforced later in the
transcript when Isabella explicitly states ‘what I needed to do at that point was to focus on
how to attain happiness, on how to fundamentally get hope and happiness back.’
Rachel also mentioned the support and encouragement which she experienced through
the meetings with members sharing their stories and how they overcame their daily
challenges, she also explained how members studied together in order to ‘bring alive
Buddhist philosophies in the face of daily realities’.
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Sonia explained how, during her depression the meetings were the thing which motivated
her to go out and although it was a struggle to go she benefited from being able to share
her experiences with others there:
At the time I hated to go outside, but Buddhist meetings was one of the
opportunities for me to go, forced me to go out, and I always dragged myself to go
to the meetings and I didn’t want to go to the meetings, but always, every time
when I went there I noticed that I became lighter and happier because I had many
chances to share my experience to others in the meetings.
In this quote Sonia’s shift in feeling is expressed as a physical experience of becoming
‘lighter’ through the process of sharing her struggles with others, however she also
acknowledges that it was not an easy task for her to go to meetings, it took a lot of effort
initially to get herself there, as expressed in the words ‘I always dragged myself to go’.
Johnny talked about how he felt the meetings were a very supportive environment, and
he refers to it as a community, a Buddhist community in which he has also been able to
meet lots of like minded and creative people who have encouraged him to continue in his
own creative work. He explains how his ideas about failure have changed through being
encouraged to keep going in his creative journey, he states how he has learned how to
‘keep going in a process’ rather than giving up halfway. He also experiences the meetings
as a source of energy, a dynamic environment to be in:
You feel totally related to everything, in terms of space and time, so you really,
certainly more than ever in my life I feel so connected to everything. So you stop
sort of seeing your little, I suppose, ego world as something separate, struggling on
its own, you feel very open to, I suppose it’s the energy thing, to being in sort of the
right place at the right sort of thing, connecting with people, connecting with
energy… all the meetings and the rest of it… you are around these really positive
people all the time, it just sort of snowballs, your life becomes a lot more dynamic,
things happen a lot faster, so it’s a really energetic environment, a really high
energy environment to be in.
In this quote the connections with others at the meeting are important for Johnny as he
experiences the feeling of energy by being around so many positive people, he says that ‘it
just sort of snowballs’ indicating that he gathers more energy through those connections
with others, and he explains the feeling of dynamism as things feel like they are happening
a lot faster. The feeling of being so connected with others seems to be important for
Johnny as it takes away his sense that he is struggling on his own.
Jo described how she would also struggle to go to meetings when she was down, however
she expressed how meeting others who were also trying to overcome challenges in their
lives also encouraged her:
You are just so happy to meet fellow fighting people I guess, when you go to the
meetings you just get so encouraged you say ‘right, I’m just going to do it’ So I try
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to go to the meetings especially when I’m down, it’s so easy to go to the meetings
and do the activities when you are perky, when you are in the momentum, but
when you don’t have that, that’s a sign that you want to reconnect and re-energise
and then to do what you want to do in your life. That’s why we all exist I think,
that’s why president Ikeda says ‘practice within the organisation’ You can’t practice
alone, otherwise you start thinking only on your own happiness, and your chanting
doesn’t go through.
In this quote Jo expresses her happiness to meet with other people who she sees
as ‘fellow fighting people’ this expresses her desire to meet with others who will also
understand the ‘fight’ which she is referring to. In this instance it is not a physical fight but
an underlying battle she is facing within herself. Jo also mentions a desire to reconnect
and re-energise indicating that she receives energy from being around others in the
meetings which is similar to Johnny’s experience above. Jo’s statement that ‘you can’t
practice alone’ is an expression also of her need to be connected with others who
fundamentally understand the journey she is on.
Two participants also spoke of how their connections with other people, such as
their friends or family, had moved them to challenge their practice and they described
how they had gone through their own personal transformations in the process. Isabella
talks of how she chanted for a family friend to overcome her fear of death in the last few
weeks of a terminal illness:
I started, I just got angry that she was so fearful I was actually swearing in front of
the Gohonzon and I went upstairs and I was at my parents place and I just started
chanting, I was just like this, I am going to shift her karma, I have to shift this, it’s
not fair that someone who has had this incredible happy life should die in fear, you
know, fundamentally it’s not fair. And so I just started chanting, and I had absolute
faith that I was going to do it, total faith that I was going to shift her karma.
Anyway she actually died, she actually died, I think a week or two weeks later and I
went to the funeral… no it was before the funeral, sorry. P’s son rang mum, and
mum had said that I was chanting for P and he said ‘you know I don’t know what
Isabella did’ but he said ‘mum’s just suddenly… she’s laughing this morning, and
her whole state has changed, she’s laughing, and the whole family is around her,
and we are talking about stories’, and I just started crying, and then at the funeral
when I went to the funeral a week later he started telling that story about the week
before she died, what an amazing last week that they’d had. And I started crying at
the funeral again because I just thought wow this practice is so connected with
other people.
In this quote we can see the need for Isabella to feel the connection, to feel that
she could have an effect on her friend’s life. Her personal transformation came down to a
series of events, in which she had taken her own action, resulting in her reaching a point
of ‘absolute faith’ that she could have an effect on her friend’s life. It is this ‘absolute faith’
which allows her to experience the connection so strongly between her chanting and the
change which happened in last week of her friend’s life.
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Jo described her time of chanting for her mother and brothers’ to overcome their
depression one year after her father had died, she had been overseas for one year and
had just returned to the family home:
I was really surprised at how everybody was disconnected and the house was a
mess, my mum was getting depression and my brother was in the middle of
depression, they got this, I don’t know the official name of it, but they kept buying
stuff, keep buying and keep buying… so when I entered the house… I was just so
shocked… I went to the living room, people were sitting among boxes, kitchen was
the same, and when you opened the window the garden was full of junk. And I just
remembered the beautiful house when my father was alive… So that’s when I said,
right, I don’t like this, I want to change it, but I don’t know how. I started really
chanting in that moment but the chanting at the beginning was a really tearful
experience, I was desperate in a way, I really want to change but I don’t know how
sort of a situation, it’s not the concept anymore, it’s not the theory, it’s just that I
needed actual proof that it changes...And I really started chanting for, on the
surface, everybody’s happiness.
From this quote we can sense the sorrow that Jo felt to see her family like this
after her father’s death, the images of boxes piled up everywhere is a further reminder of
what her and her family have lost, her grief is echoed in her words ‘I just remembered the
beautiful house when my father was alive’. Through this section of the interview we can
sense how her pain at seeing her family disconnected from each other and suffering
quietly, this is the thing which drives her to chant for change, she explains how it is no
longer the concept or the theory, it becomes about the raw emotion, the only thing that
will make it better in that moment is to see a change. At this stage she starts to chant for
her family’s happiness, however as she realises later it is the ‘surface’ happiness which she
initially chants for. Jo goes on to explain how she ‘had two weeks to turn everything
around’ as her partner was returning from overseas and there was literally nowhere for
him to sleep because of all the boxes. She explains how her chanting shifted in those first
few days:
I sat chanting and chanting for the first couple of days, and 3 days and nothing
happened, on the third day or forth day I noticed that, I started having energy, like,
right there is nothing that I cannot change, there is a way to have a breakthrough
so let’s do that, but I didn’t ask anybody to chant with me because this is my battle
I thought and I just really sincerely started chanting that... my heart, my
Buddhahood, is going to definitely reach their heart and shake their heart, that’s
the only thing I was thinking, nothing else.
This quote illustrates the shift in energy which she experiences as she taps into her
Buddhahood, her inner strength and courage are revealed in the words ‘there is a way to
have a breakthrough, so let’s do that’, she realises the situation is hers to change ‘this is
my battle’ and her deep desire to reach out to her family is expressed when she says ‘I just
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really sincerely started chanting that...my heart, my Buddhahood, is going to definitely
reach their heart and shake their hear.t’
However after one week when things have not changed, Jo explains how her energy and
faith diminish as doubts start to enter her mind, this is the real turning point in her inner
transformation:
I was chanting and believing they were going to change... and then I really
collapsed, really, really had that big cry. When they heard my cry, they left home...
And then when they left, something changed, It’s always so funny, you notice the
big change in you first, that is the sign of change and that is the correct way of
daimoku. You don’t change your environment without changing yourself… I started
having that sign… I said right this is my battle and I’m going to change it, and I
stopped crying, that’s after one week I finally stopped crying and I started really
turning around and my chanting changed, I said I really want them to be happy, I
don’t care about the cleaning, that I can do, but I really want my brother to stand
up, and my mum to be happy… towards the last two days…when I was chanting I
started hearing a voice behind me, it was my younger brother and I thought ‘ah ha’
and I looked at him and he just looked at me and smiled and I just didn’t say
anything, I didn’t say anything, I just kept chanting. And then he joined me in the
cleaning process.
Through this whole experience which Jo shares, there are many subtle shifts which
happen for her as she goes through the different stages of transforming the way she
responds to the situation. There is the initial stage of ‘I don’t like it, I want to change it but
I don’t know how’ in this stage her chanting is a tearful experience, it’s the stage where
she desperately chants for the ‘surface’ happiness of everybody. From here it shifts to
having energy as she calls out her inner strength and determination to change the
situation. She is striving to activate her Buddhahood and reach out to her family, her heart
is there in her chanting, she knows it is her battle but she is still subtly determined to
focus on her family changing, she is determined she will ‘reach their heart and shake their
heart’, but after a week this energy has faded as her doubts start creeping in. Her final
shift comes when she finally has ‘that big cry’. There is a sense of pre-knowing and
wisdom gained through past experiences, like she knew ‘that’ cry, that moment would
inevitably come and once she has that cry, she notices the change in herself as her
chanting turns around. ‘I started having that sign’ indicates again ‘that sign’ is a familiar
one where she realises this moment is the key to change. ‘That sign’ comes when the shift
is being made in her heart, from ‘on the surface, everybody’s happiness’, chanting and
believing ‘they’ are going to change, to ‘I really want them to be happy’ and ‘this is my
battle and I’m going to change it...I finally stopped crying.
This chapter has covered the main themes found in relation to the participants
experiences of personal transformation. ‘Tapping into Buddhahood’ was the opening
theme discussed, participants were able to tap into their Buddhahood through their
chanting, and this was expressed as a feeling of being able to access a wellspring of inner
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resources such as strength, wisdom, courage and compassion. Some participants also
expressed being able to tap into their Buddhahood through active participation at
meetings, when these participants interacted and took on active roles they were able to
access similar inner resources, such as a deep sense of confidence or empowerment.
Tapping into Buddhahood was also closely linked with participants feelings of
transformation on a daily basis, through their daily practice of tapping into their
Buddhahood by chanting and their active participation at meetings, the participants
expressed how they could experience their own personal transformations as being like an
on-going and dynamic process, and also how they could feel their views of self and the
world expanding daily. The next theme discussed was ‘Activating the Energy Engine’ which
related to participants’ experiences of shifts in energy, feelings and motivation which they
felt were activated through their chanting. The final theme, ‘Realising a Wonderful
Interconnectedness’ related to participants appreciation of being able to connect with
fellow Nichiren Buddhist practitioners and also their realisations of the importance of
their connections with others in the journey of their transformation process.
Chapter Five: Discussion
Theme summaries
This research has explored the personal transformation experiences of five Nichiren
Buddhists. Using thematic analysis the research sought to find common themes within
these five experiences in order to shed light on the processes of personal transformation
for this particular group of participants.
Of particular note was that all the participants talked at length about the process
of chanting and how this enabled them to tap into their Buddhahood, which they
explained as an inner resource of positive qualities such as courage, wisdom, compassion,
and happiness. This process of tapping into Buddhahood and realising that they had all
this potential in them was not always an easy process at first, there was an element of
struggle or fighting to realise this fact initially. However, once this initial breakthrough was
made then believing in their ability to tap into Buddhahood at any moment became much
easier. This process is a time in which individuals become critically aware of their old and
new self views and their need to integrate these views into a new self definition (Wade,
1998). In this time, there is often a process of conflict or dilemma for the individual
(Ferguson, 1980). The decision to shift one’s view of reality can take place gradually or by
a dramatic leap of transcendence (Mezirow, 1991), however, when this transformation
occurs, the energy which the individual had invested in the conflict or struggle is released
(Newman, 1999).
Once participants had made this breakthrough from struggling to actually believing
they had this Buddhahood that they could tap into at any moment, they were able to
experience this in terms of feeling wider, more open and their world views expanded. The
participants were also able to realise larger dreams than they initially thought would be
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possible, to transform relationships that they once avoided, and to chant not only for
people they knew but for strangers and for larger goals such as world peace. These were
some clear expressions which came directly from this particular group of participants’
personal transformations. The descriptions of a greater capacity for relatedness to others
are consistent with the findings from the Vieten, Amorok and Schlitz (2006) study, which
listed a greater capacity to relate to others as being an outcome of the transformation
process. Wade (1998) also suggests that it is profound changes in one’s perceptions of
reality that produce expanded states of consciousness.
For these participants the most profound changes in their perceptions came when
they realised they had this ‘Buddhahood’ in them to tap, with that realisation their views
of themselves, others and the world were free to expand. Wade (1998) describes how
individuals who experience transformation believe they have more freedom and
creativity. The overarching feeling one could sense from these participants was that they
were on a constant journey of change and it was an exciting journey for them, they were
curious, they were interested, they were willing to challenge themselves daily on that
journey. Wong, Wong and Scott (2006) expressed transformation as an on-going holistic
change process, and this is similar to the participants’ reports of how they viewed their
personal transformation as an on-going process which encompassed many aspects of their
lives.
These participants believed they could change, therefore, they did. Their
assumptions were clear through their interviews; everybody has Buddhahood, therefore
everybody can transform their lives. The findings from this study support the theory
which Dockett (2003) has previously posited, that it is the belief that all human beings
possess a Buddha nature that empowers SGI members to believe in their inherent
capacity for growth. They were also surrounded by other people who shared this same
belief, attending meetings on a regular basis meant that they were constantly sharing
their own experiences of change and transformation as well as listening to others
experiences. Exchanging stories of transformation was a key factor found in research by
Brick (2005) that accelerated the transformative learning process of Nichiren Buddhists.
Sharing experiences of transformation is a very similar process to the final stages of
narrative therapy where clients engage in remembering, written documentation and
taking-it-back practices in order to solidify the change and fully integrate the client’s new
life story into the client’s concept of self (Carr, 1998).
For some of the participants the idea of tapping into their Buddhahood also came
through their active participation at Buddhist meetings. What was evident from listening
to the participants speak was that they understood the importance of the ‘practice’
element of their Buddhist practice. Participants had applied their Buddhist beliefs to
specific situations in their daily lives; meetings provided the safe space to apply those
ideas. For change to happen, action needs to be taken, the opportunities for active
participation at meetings allowed that space for action to happen. Participants had access
to those opportunities, many opportunities, where they could take action, and by process,
tap into their Buddhahood through those actions.
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Many of the participants spoke of the active element of chanting which they
expressed as being important for them; this active element was either, the sound, the
rhythm, the act of focusing on goals or the feelings of energy and positivity which arose
when they chanted. This active energy which participants experienced seemed to help
keep them motivated in their journeys. Transformation was not always easy, as one
participant succinctly expressed “it’s actually scarier to have an unlimited view of your life
than it is to have a limited view”. Therefore, the energy which the participants could gain
from their chanting was a positive force which they utilised to move themselves towards
action. The positivity which arose for some of the participants during their chanting
process was very strong; they described it as cheerfulness, a positivity that just wanted to
come out. It has been found that meditation practice has been associated with
significantly greater activity in the left prefrontal cortex which is an area of the brain
associated with positive emotion (Davidson et al., 2003). This is also congruent with the
findings of Diener and Biswas-Diener (2008) that posit the link between spirituality and
positive emotions as being an ‘active ingredient’ of certain religions which can contribute
to enhancing an individual’s subjective well being. Additionally, Fredrickson’s (2004)
Broaden and Build theory has substantial research to support the case of positive
emotions and the contribution this can make towards broadening thought action
repertoires, as well as prompting individuals to engage more with their environments. For
example, joy creates the urge to play, push limits and be creative, while interest creates
the urge to explore, take in new experiences and expand the self. As Fredrickson (2004, p.
1369) explains: “Through experiences of positive emotions, then people transform
themselves, becoming more creative, knowledgeable, resilient, socially integrated and
healthy individuals.”
One participant expressed how even when he felt he could not do anything else
that was useful then he could chant and therefore that was doing something, the feeling
of being able to do something was useful. Similarly, the Wilson and Dobbelaere (1994)
study found that the participants actually viewed their chanting as a cause, “an influence
at work in the metaphysical economy” (p.183). Chanting takes an objective step towards
the goal; if practitioners believe this then it may act as a placebo effect (Stefano,
Fricchione, Slingsby, & Benson, 2001), which in turn can move them one step further
towards their goal.
Accessing and utilising this kind of intrinsic motivation and energy is inherently
useful, particularly within the therapeutic process where clients often struggle to maintain
the motivation required for effective change. Could an active meditation such as chanting
offer an additional element to the therapeutic process, one that could stimulate client
motivation and optimism? There is already much research to support the use of
mindfulness in therapy to help foster awareness (Farb et al., 2007; Hölzel et al., 2011;
Siegel, 2007). However, the main research on mindfulness is predominantly concerned
with silent breathing or sitting meditations, furthermore, cultivating awareness or insight
on its own is often not enough to lead to effective long term change. Tailored therapeutic
interventions are often required depending on which stage of change a client is at; for
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instance, fostering awareness is often desirable in the initial stages of change while more
behavioural orientated techniques are often used in the action stages (Prochaska,
DiClemente, & Norcross, 1992).
The participants in this study expressed how they experienced their chanting as a
very active process; it was not only about raising awareness but also the motivating force
they utilised in order to take action in their lives. Furthermore, chanting inspired an
intrinsic optimism and hope in many of the participants, which also seemed to move them
towards action. There is some preliminary research which supports the positive effect
that certain types of chanting can have on brain function (Kalyani et al., 2011; Khalsa,
Amen, Hanks, Money, & Newberg, 2009). However, research in this area is often based on
chanting styles used in yoga meditations which are predominantly focused on relaxation.
Nichiren Buddhism differs in this respect, in that chanting is often fast paced, with a
strong vocal energy and often goal focused. It was of interest to note that few of the
participants in this study actually referred to their chanting practice as bringing them
feelings of relaxation. An area of interest for future research may be to compare the
effects of these diverse chanting styles on changes in brain functioning to see if they have
significance for clinical or therapeutic practices.
As was previously mentioned in the results of this study, chanting in a group setting can
serve to magnify this feeling of energy for some participants. This could also be a further
area to consider for future research; how does the experience of chanting within a group,
on a regular basis differ from chanting individually and can it accelerate or enhance the
transformation process? Previous research has shown that people experience more
intense positive emotions when interacting with others than when alone (McIntyre,
Watson, Clark, & Cross, 1991), this offers some support for this finding that the positive
experience of chanting may be more intense with others than alone. Taylor (1998)
reported that it is transformation within a group context that gives individuals more
courage to initiate social change. If that is so, then would it also give individuals more
courage to initiate fundamental personal changes within their own lives as well?
It has been suggested that social support is one of the active factors amongst certain
religions which can contribute to increased happiness (Diener & Biswas-Diener, 2008).
This seems to be supported by the participants of this study who expressed that
the experience of connecting with others who also practiced Nichiren Buddhism was a key
positive aspect for them. Wilson and Dobbelaere (1994) also found that the sharing of
experiences between members in group meetings was an important aspect of the practice
for Nichiren Buddhists, and that it functioned for those members who had problems as a
type of group therapy. This is a notable contrast to Rubin’s (1999) critique that the
isolative aspect of the meditative experience means there can be a neglect of public
feedback and validation. Indeed the strength in Nichiren Buddhism would appear to be in
the practitioners’ real engagement with each other and therapeutic effect that those
encounters have for the practitioners. The participants of this study seemed to have many
opportunities to share the processes they were going through on their road to
transformation, and also to get advice about the obstacles and struggles which they were
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encountering. This combination of tapping into their Buddhahood through chanting,
active participation at meetings and then the social support and close relationships that
were fostered through the connections with other members at meetings seems to provide
a facilitative set of circumstances for individuals to experience personal transformation.
Rubin (1999) further suggested that Buddhist approaches may hinder as well as
facilitate the change process. He posits that the Buddhist tendency towards detaching
from experience rather than exploring its meaning discourages people to use what they
have discovered in their meditation processes to study themselves. The experiences of
these participants seemed to differ in that they have that opportunity to tap into deeper
aspects of themselves through their chanting and then to explore, solidify and integrate
those experiences through discussion at the meetings. They do this in various ways, by
sharing their experiences, encouraging each other, studying Buddhist philosophy together
so that they can apply it to their daily lives, and finally by taking on active roles in those
meetings. Nichiren Buddhism, in fact, appears to utilise the three identified dimensions
central to change suggested by the psychoanalytic approach. Cognitive insight is fostered
through chanting and further explored through discussions at meetings. Affective bonds
are fostered through intimate sharing at meetings and also through the supportive
relationships between local leaders and members. Within this safe environment and
through their regular chanting routines individuals have many opportunities to experience
the psychological spaciousness which can lead to acceptance and integration of formally
dissociated experiences, as well as opportunities for new views of the self to emerge.
This is further supported by Dockett (2003) who also proposed that the success of
SGI members’ ability to foster psychologically healthy adaptations to various challenges in
their lives lay in the members’ ability to internalise the various Buddhist teachings. The
findings from this study also seemed to indicate that the participants were able to
internalise the Buddhist principles, such as the idea that everyone has Buddhahood,
through their regular practice of chanting, support from other members, and also through
their active participation at meetings. Through these experiences participants were able
to develop a confidence and openness towards changing events in their lives; they were
also able to recognise that they could turn seemingly negative experiences into positive
opportunities for personal growth.
This positivity and openness towards their lives and the participants’ beliefs in
their own potential for transformation within that is reflected in the previous results of
SGI members’ attitudes to change, which Wilson and Dobbelaere (1994) reported in the
UK membership. In their study participants were also open to exploring new ideas, they
welcomed changes which occurred in their lives and they saw these life events as
opportunities to take bold action towards change.
Some participants also explained how their connections with other people in their
day to day life was important and that these close connections were often a motivating
factor which helped them experience their own inner transformation in some way. For
these participants it was the subjective, emotional connection with others which fuelled
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their motivation, it was their desire to shift another person’s suffering or to transform a
situation in their family which moved them towards this. This is similar to the findings of
Vieten, Amorok and Schlitz’s study (2006) in which they also found that cognitive
realisations alone were not enough, but direct subjective experiences were a necessary
element of true and long lasting transformation. Wade (1998) also supports this view that
in transformation the process of learning involves more than cognition.
There were a number of potential sub themes which ran through the interviews or
were present either explicitly or implicitly to some extent. The challenge of data analysis,
as mentioned previously, was that many themes were either implicitly present and
therefore did not fit with the semantic type of analysis that was being carried out, or were
felt not to be common enough in this particular data set to be classed as a main theme.
Two sub themes of interest shall be briefly mentioned in this section as the researcher
recognises they may be important areas to investigate for future research.
The first sub-theme was the sense of self responsibility that the participants expressed in
general towards their life. It was felt that it was more of a sub theme in this particular
research as it was not as commonly discussed as the main themes. Rachel expressed this
self responsibility the most clearly out of all the participants when discussing her
relationship with her husband that she realised that he was not responsible for her
happiness but that only she was responsible for that. Jo referenced this idea of self
responsibility on a number of occasions in her interview, for instance, to ‘taking on the
battle’ and ‘standing up alone’. Sonia also conveyed a sense of this when she expressed
her belief that her karma was there for her to transform into her mission. The
participants’ sense of responsibility and awareness of the importance of their actions
indicated a strong internal locus of control (Lefcourt, 1991) and a keenness to view their
problems in terms of personal challenges. Maslow’s (1950) qualities of self actualising
people included factors similar to this, for instance, being able to see problems in terms of
challenges, being reliant on one’s own experiences or judgements and not being
susceptible to external pressures. Literature also suggests that a highly intrinsic religious
orientation is related to positive approach coping strategies such as problem solving,
active coping, positive reframing and acceptance (Krägeloh, Chai, Shepherd, & Billington,
2011).
In her discussion on empowerment from a Buddhist perspective, Dockett (2003)
has suggested the next step for research with SGI may be to empirically test the
empowering and stress resistant characteristics of members and their relationship with
coping behaviours, personal goal attainment and stress or well being outcomes.
The second sub theme, was a sense of appreciation and gratitude, this was more so an
implicit theme expressed within the language used by participants. There were many
words such as ‘beautiful’, ‘amazing’, and ‘wonderful’. Isabella expressed gratitude most
explicitly at the end of her interview when she talked of her appreciation of having gone
through cancer and that she realised how ‘perfect’ it had been for her life. The explicit and
implicit expressions of appreciation and gratitude from participants supported Brick’s
(2005) findings which found expressions of gratitude to be a key theme running through
the collections of Nichiren Buddhists written experiences.
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Implications
As discussed, the findings from this study are congruent with much of the already
established literature on change and transformation; the findings also support and add a
new dimension to the literature relating to Nichiren Buddhism and SGI.
In considering the implications of this research, the overall findings of this study showed
how deeply the participants believed in the potential inherent in their own lives, or in
their own words, the ‘Buddhahood’ which they possessed, and which they also firmly
believed everybody else possessed. These participants had been successful in internalising
many of the Buddhist philosophies which they had studied and they had primarily done
this through their daily practice of chanting and interactive meetings. The findings indicate
that these participants possessed a deep self belief and confidence towards their own
ability to continue to transform their lives on many levels, and that they had been able to
do this because of the highly conducive and supportive environment around them, which
had both fostered and reflected that belief in their potential. Much research has
established the importance of various aspects of the therapeutic environment and
individual characteristics of both the client and the therapist which leads to the most
effective therapeutic outcomes (Ackerman & Hilsenroth, 2003; Castonguay & Beutler,
2006; Lambert & Barley, 2001).
As I reflect on this study and its possible implications for the field of counselling
psychology, two issues seem most relevant, one is the belief that the psychologist holds in
the potential of the client that he or she is working with, while the other is the belief that
the client holds in their own potential. This concept of human potential has been
introduced to psychology through the humanistic movement in the 1960s as well as the
recent move towards positive psychology. However, as Rubin (1999) and various others
have proposed, Buddhism can point towards possibilities of freedom, empowerment,
wisdom and compassion that go beyond the traditional ideas of western psychology.
When considering what kind of difference counselling psychology can make on an
individual and society level, we must consider if we are indeed aiming towards our highest
human potential, or if we are unconsciously still constricted by firmly established
limitations and assumptions of western society.
Buddhism, and Nichiren Buddhism in particular, with its focus on ‘human
revolution’ and the vast untapped potential of the individual has the ability to open our
eyes to new possibilities of ‘being’ and ‘believing’ within the therapeutic relationship. To
use an analogy, as a novice student in the art of Tae Kwon Do many years ago, I recall our
instructor explaining to us that to be successful in breaking a block of wood we had to aim
our kick, not at the wood itself, but beyond the wood. It was the act of aiming beyond the
block which would infuse us with the strength and power required to break through it. It is
this act of aiming beyond which is powerful, and on reflection of my own experience as
both a Nichiren Buddhist and as a psychology student, Buddhism has much to contribute
to psychology in the area of moving beyond what we think is possible, particularly in the
area of human potential.
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Reflections and Limitations
There were a number of limitations within this study which would be important to take
into consideration for any similar studies of this kind in the future. This research was
based on interviews with five participants from a specific group of people. The small
number and select nature of this group of participants may limit the generalisability of the
results. However, as previously stated, the aim was to explore and gain an in depth
understanding of Nichiren Buddhists’ experiences of personal transformation, therefore in
depth individual interviews were evaluated as being the most appropriate method to
achieve this. The resultant data offered a vast degree of rich and multifaceted information
surrounding these participants’ personal experiences. Focusing on a select few individuals
has its benefits as Smith (2004) explains “the very detail of the individual brings us closer
to significant aspects of a shared humanity.” (p.43)
By examining how these participants experience personal transformation in their
lives we can also place ourselves in a better position to think about how we might
understand and experience it in our own lives.
This was the first qualitative study that I as a novice researcher have undertaken, and
although I took careful steps to investigate the best methods to apply to this particular
study, the skill and insight involved in conducting a qualitative interview is something
which can only be acquired through actual practice. Although I started the process of
becoming familiar with the data throughout the time of conducting interviews, I only
commenced with the in depth data analysis after completing all five interviews. DiCiccoBloom and Crabtree (2006) suggest that qualitative data analysis should be carried out
concurrently with data collection, as this can inform both the data sampling and the
questions being asked. On reflection it may have been beneficial to carry out some data
analysis between interviews, to help inform the questions asked in later interviews, this
may have led to richer and more insightful data. However, conducting data analysis
between interviews may also have potentially disadvantaged the study as it could possibly
have led to a more biased nature of questioning. This in turn may have produced the
opposite effect of restricting rather than enhancing the data.
I was also aware of my own personal connection with the topic and the group
about whom this study was focusing on. My personal experience with the topic and
involvement within the group as a practicing Nichiren Buddhist myself meant that I had to
remain constantly aware of the risk of becoming overly subjective, particularly within the
interviews and throughout the later stages of data analysis. Becoming overly subjective or
over identifying with the participants or the data in this case may have led me to become
less critical or reflective of Nichiren Buddhism. As Britten (1995) explains, the aim in
qualitative research interviews is to discern the interviewee’s own meanings and
frameworks, not to impose the researcher’s assumptions. To counter this risk, when
conducting the interviews I was careful to remain as close as possible to the main
questions which had been constructed in the planning stages in close consultation with
my supervisor. Furthermore, to counter the risk of being overly subjective in the data
analysis I was careful to follow the step-by-step guidelines to thematic analysis as set out
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by Braun and Clarke (2006). Moreover, I also met and consulted regularly with my
supervisor during all stages of the study.
In addition to being aware of over-identifying with the research, there was the
alternative risk that in my need to maintain an objective position as a researcher, I could
actually become overly defensive in order to maintain a safe distance from the research
topic. Furthermore, in my position as an aspiring psychologist, my need to prove myself as
a ‘psychologist’ rather than a ‘Buddhist’ was also an issue which I had to consider
carefully. For instance, in discussion with my supervisor it was drawn to my attention that
I had the tendency to want to interpret what the participants had said into psychological
language too quickly rather than allowing time to ‘listen’ to the data.
Conclusion
This research has supported findings from previous studies, on this occasion within a
unique group of Nichiren Buddhist practitioners. The focused qualitative approach to this
subject of personal transformation in the lives of Nichiren Buddhist practitioners within
SGI, adds a depth to the current research which has been published on SGI and the
previously published literature on Nichiren Buddhism. This was a small scale exploratory
study, however there is potential for further investigation of the topic in the future,
possibly combining a mixed methods approach on a broader scale, similar to research
which has been carried out with SGI members in other countries. It may also be valuable
to investigate personal transformation within different Buddhist or religious practices, in
order to explore the varying elements which may contribute to the personal
transformation of the individual.
The findings from this study also gave an insight into the rich and multifaceted
experiences of personal transformation for these particular SGI members. Their stories
give a feeling of their lived experiences as well as the many subtle and profound
psychological shifts which can take place within the daily realities or ‘dukkha’9 of life. As
Smith (2004) has so eloquently explained, qualitative research, by the very detail of
focusing on the individual, brings us closer to our shared humanity. This kind of research
can be said to be ‘trustworthy’ when the findings resonate with people’s life experience
(Smythe & Giddings, 2007). If the reader responds with the ‘phenomenological nod’ (Van
Manen, 1990) to this research then that may be taken as a sign that this study has been
successful in doing what it has set out to do.
In terms of the therapeutic experience, quantitative research may be able to
provide knowledge about certain psychological issues; qualitative research however offers
the wisdom to understand deeply how those issues are actually experienced by an
individual. In many ways, it is essential to enable us to understand the essence of the
therapeutic relationship or as Smythe and Giddings (2007) explain, “how we can be in our
9
‘Dukkha’ There is no clear translation for this Pali term, often translated as suffering although the more
accurate translation is ‘unease’.
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humanity with fellow humans in a way that is therapeutic” (p.56). Qualitative research on
issues such as human wellbeing and personal transformation are therefore of
fundamental importance to inform the area of counselling psychology. Research in this
area can foster a wisdom that can reach beyond the notion of curing psychological illness,
a wisdom that enables therapists to connect with their clients in the most profound way
possible, to enable and empower each individual client towards a greater future and a
fuller, more satisfying sense of life.
From a societal perspective, knowledge has contributed to great advancements
being made in all areas of science in the previous decades. The effects of knowledge have
been extensive and far reaching, knowledge has been used to create and cure, it has also
been used to kill and destroy. What is the crucial factor that determines the outcome of
knowledge? Surely it is none other than the human being who possesses that knowledge.
It is with great hope that this researcher has explored the topic of personal
transformation, in the belief that the world is moving beyond knowledge, to a new
understanding of the power of wisdom and the crucial part that this can play in the
transformation of individuals, communities and society. Counselling psychology may
indeed be the movement that can lead the way, as it begins its development here in
Aotearoa, the land of the long white cloud, situated in the centre of the water hemisphere
within the vast Pacific Ocean. Let us also not forget that the meaning of pacific is peace.
The steps towards peace may be found nowhere else but within the individual and the
uniquely personal transformation of the human spirit.
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