Over twenty years ago, my family and I went to Mirror Lake, Utah. It is located a border line of Utah and Wyoming. The elevation is over 7,500 ft above the sea level. The surface of the lake looked just like a mirror. It reflected snow-covered mountains, clear blue sky, and clouds like cotton here and there. The landscape was very impressive to me even today.
A clear mirror reflects everything as it is. It reflects an angry face, a smiling face, crying face, a happy face and etc. A face reflects one's inner self. Therefore, it is said that a face is a mirror of one' mind. However, when a mirror is dusty, it does not reflect clear vision.
St. Nichiren said that our delusive minds are like dusty mirrors. When you shine your minds, they will surely become like a clear mirror reflecting the truth of all phenomena. How should you shine the mind? The answer is just to chant the Odamoku, "Namu Myoho Renge Kyo."
One day, a feminist lady came to me for counseling. She said, "I had many chances to get marry. But every time when it was just about to marry, my fiance canceled the marriage. What was wrong with me?"
Since I know a method how to see one's Future by chanting the Odaimoku, I promised her to give an advise. Returning to the my temple, I chanted the Odaimoku and asked that there would be a chance for her to get marry within next two years or not. As the result, there would be no chance at all even after the two years.
I told her exactly I saw. She was very sad. Then, my inner self asked her with voice, "You must have vowed that you would never get married, didn't you?" Her reply was "Yes." She started cried and told me that when she was young, her father abused her sexually. At that time, she vowed not to get married."
My advise for her was that she should cancel the vow to whatever god or anybody she had vowed. Then, I gave her a Gohonzon, an object of worship in Nichiren Buddhism. I said to her, "Place this Gohonzon in a respectable place. And chant 'Namu Myoho Renge Kyo" everyday and pray for a marriage with a nice man who fits to her life style."
One year had passed since then. She called me to conduct a marriage at a community hall. Of course it was for her and her Future husband. I married them according to the Nichiren Buddhist rite.
She mentioned how she met her husband. One day, she missed a bus to go to work. She waited for next bus. There, a man came to the bus stop where she was waiting for. Naturally they exchanged greetings. Then they found many similarities of each other; single, vegetarian, about the same age and so on.
That is what St Nichiren said that to shine your mind by chanting the Odaimoku. Your clear mind reflects the truth in the past, the present, and the Future.
This morning, we are gathered here and chanted the Odaimoku. Our dusty mirror must be cleared a little bit. But when you once step out of the temple, your mind may get dusty soon again, because you stop the chanting. Your mind may become full of delusion. To avoid that, please keep chanting while you walk, drive a car, or whatever you are doing. Then your mind will be shining a little by little, and eventually it will be clear like a shined mirror reflecting the cause and effect of what you do.

Namu Myoho Renge Kyo - Namu Myoho Renge Kyo - Namu Myoho Renge Kyo

Thank you...

With Gassho,

Kanai Shonin