"True" Buddhists are taught, and do believe, that the more they chant the better their lives will be. Millions of people believe that they communicate with God through their prayers, and if they are of true faith and hope, what they want in their lives God will provide. God does hear all of our prayers, but does He/She do something to change our lives? Will a family who is in great debt get money because they pray for it? Will a very sick person get better if that person prays for better health? Will God provide each of us with true happiness?
I remember I was invited to the home of a true Buddhist in Bangkok for a “chanting session.” There were probably 15-20 people there chanting Nam Myoho Renge Kyo. I sat down and before I started to chant, God told me “Blake, you would not believe that each person chanting is asking for something.”
One young Malaysian woman, whenever she chanted always asked that her husband get a job in London, for the family had lived there for a period of time and they loved it. This request of God was always asked when she chanted, and this woman chanted for hours at a time.
One day she came to visit me and said, “Blake, I do not understand why, after all my chanting for these years, my husband has not been given a job offer in London.” I responded that perhaps going to London was not right for her family’s lives. God knows what each of us needs and if it is right for us to have it, we will. All the praying will not give us what we want if it is not for us to have.
When I was told years ago that someday I would have more money than I know what to do with, I believed it for it was told to me by a spirit on “the other side.” That was in 1998, and I still am not “rolling in money.” I realized that were I to get the money I would give to those people I love to help better their lives. In that respect, I would be playing God, and that is not right for me to do. It is not my job to change the destiny of anyone.
Good things do happen to good people. I have a friend, Cazal, who is also a neighbor. He moved into the apartment I had before I moved down to the first floor. Cazal was one of New York City’s homeless people, and he had lived in the streets for at least 12 years. I cannot imagine what that was like, for when I was told that the adult home I was living in was sold and all the residents had to be relocated, I was told that it would be very difficult to find placement for me since I was not mentally disturbed. I was not concerned, for I knew that God knew what I needed, and so the opportunity arose for me to move into Manhattan in one of the wealthiest areas of the city. It was a renovated brownstone and the apartment I was given was on the second floor.
When I began to have much trouble with my back and with each step I was in severe pain, the owner of the brownstone approached me and asked if I wanted the vacant apartment on the first floor. That would mean I would save walking up and down 16 steps. The owner came to me!!! I knew of the vacant apartment, but I did not ask for it since I felt that there were other residents ahead of me. God knew what I needed. The apartment was under what is termed “Section 8,” which means that I pay a certain percentage of the rent. The real estate value of the apartment is $1,600 because of the neighborhood it is located in; yet I pay about 15% of that amount each month.
The same was true for my friend Cazal. It was not by chance that he got an apartment in the brownstone. God knew what he needed in his life and it was given to him. Now his fear is that all his homeless friends will find out where he lives and park at his doorstep. So, he must keep the location secret.
As I mentioned in a previous chapter, I never ask God for anything for myself when I pray every morning. I pray for others. Yet, after being in pain at my lower back for several months I asked God to stop the pain. And it stopped one hour later and has not returned. I feel that God knew that I had suffered enough.
What I am trying to say to all you readers is never ask for anything for yourself when you pray. God knows what you need in your life, and will step in when necessary. God usually does not get involved in the lives of man; He/She gave us “free will” and so we have to make our own decisions.
My brother-in-law suffered much with failing kidneys. When I was living in Bangkok, he was rushed by ambulance to the hospital, and it was not expected that he live. My sister contributes the saving of his life to the doctor, but I know better. God changed the date of death of my sister’s husband, for He/She knew that my sister was not prepared at that time to be a widow. And so, Irving’s life was prolonged another 2 years when God knew that my sister was ready, and she was. She handled her husband’s death so admirably, doing what she had to do like making the funeral arrangements and giving all her husband’s clothes to Goodwill. But, she died a bit after Irving did for her mission as a “caregiver” was over, and once each of us fulfill the one mission we bring to in this life we can then move on to “the other side.”
What shocked the entire family is that my sister’s wish was to be cremated, which is against the Jewish religion, in which the body is buried in the ground as soon as possible. Why did she choose to be cremated and not buried? Again, my sister always took the welfare of others before her own. She knew that being cremated would be cheaper, and she did not want her children to bear the costly expense of a funeral. Also, both her children were having financial problems, and the money she left them in her will would definitely help both of them financially. Even in death, my sister carried on her mission as “caregiver.”
It is right for each of us to pray for others, even praying for those who dwell on “the other side,” for our prayers have a positive affect on their souls. But to pray and ask for what we want will not happen unless it is right for us to have what it is we seek. God, in His/Her infinite wisdom, knows what is right for each of us. Even though God will not interfere in the way we live our lives, He/She does protect us by providing spirit guides to everyone. It is the responsibility of the spirit guides to help us, and even though perhaps only 5% of the Earth’s population has the ability to telepathically communicate with his or her guides, guides have found a way to help us. Often, when we are faced with a decision, our body gets a feeling of what to do. We call that “instinct,” but it is our spirit guides communicating their help to us.
I am honored that God has chosen me as the communicating link between Him/Her and the inhabitants of this planet. Most of the time when there is communication, I take myself out so that my own thoughts do not come through; hence the communication between The Creator and each who speak with Him/Her is accurate and pure. Afterward, when I return to my body, I often discover that the one who communicated has tears rolling down from his or her eyes. When I first discovered this, I was alarmed, for I felt that each person was told something tragic. On the contrary, the tears were always those of joy not sorrow. What was told to each of them is a direction to move in, advice to be followed, a suggestion. Of course, it is then the decision of the person to either follow what was suggested or disallow it from consideration. God has provided a path for each of them, but each one must take the first step; The Creator will not do that for any of us.
A close friend of mine had a long “talk” with God; I do not know what was discussed, but my friend was disturbed when I spoke with him, saying that what was suggested is not possible to do. My response to that was “Everything is possible; there is always a solution to a problem, even if it means that you must go out of your way to achieve success.” Jacques listened to what I said intently, and I hope he will take his first giant step. I know once that is done, his life will change - for the better. He has a tendency to wallow in self-pity, which no one should do. There is always a way to achieve what should be sought. It may take some time, but the reward is well worth the patience. And patience is one lesson in life that most people do not learn. I, too, was guilty of lack of patience at one time, but now I realize that if what I want in my life is to advance my soul, I will wait for I know that what I seek is there for me to have. I have now reached a point in my life in which patience is foremost in my mind when I make a decision.
I am never in a hurry to go anywhere; I never take a train, but always take a bus from one location to another. What is my rush? Also, I do not appreciate being under the ground when I travel, for them I would miss seeing people walking in the streets of Manhattan, lack the ability to look in the windows of shops, smell the fresh air when the door of the bus opens. I used to hurry cleaning my apartment, hurry to the laundromat to wash my clothes, hurry to and from the supermarket. No longer do I rush in doing any of those activities. I take my time, thereby enjoying each minute of my life.
Ever since my first telepathic communication with one deceased, when I was told that in this lifetime I will have more money than I ever dreamed possible, I have been patient, waiting for this to happen. I was never told either how the money would come to me or the amount of it. I remember the day in Bangkok when my closest friend, the medium, and I went to the bank because I thought I understood that the money had magically appeared in my bank account. I was wrong, for the officer at the bank informed me that there was no deposit of a large sum of money. Was I disappointed? I would be lying if I were to say that I was not, for after all, I am a human being.
For several months, after I returned to America, I would buy a Mega Millions lottery ticket - only one ticket each time, for I knew that God knew the number and the machine dispensing the ticket that I would purchase would have the number for me to purchase would have the winning number. I do not seek great wealth for myself, but it is what I can do with the money. So many lives I can change. With vast wealth I would travel to Africa, making sure that the money spent on food was given to the hungry. I would provide housing for the homeless. But, I would never donate money to bolster a religion or to find a cure for a disease like cancer. Religion is wasted on a person who has the faith in and the love for God. I believe that a cure for cancer has already been discovered, but were it known and used then it would create a new problem all over the world - overpopulation. So many of those close to me would benefit from the money I would give to them as gifts. Their lives would change permanently. But, perhaps, I am not to help them in this way. My patience will continue. I know that if I were to ask God, I would not get an answer. I know what questions would always go unanswered by my master.
My guide has many names: God, Yahweh, Lord. When I friend of mine spoke with my guide, he asked my guide what should he call Him/Her. The answer was “friend,” and that really is what my guide should be considered. I have always called my guide “Master,” and it was interesting when I discovered that that was the title Nikko Shonin used when speaking to Nichiren Daishonin.
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