The effects of Chanting, Perhaps?

I was drawn into the whole Nichiren Buddhist scene during my stay in New York by a group of friends. The last night of my stay, I cooked dinner for a party of 15 or so happy heads, and we were all downing glasses of Prosecco and Chardonnay. By the time the festivities wound down, I was feeling a slight pounding in my head from the heat and the booze, and this is when I was introduced to chanting. Four of them (Kari, Mica, Rann and Oli) went into Mica's room to chant their evening gongyo and I was lucky enough to be a part of it.

By the time it was over, my head stopped pounding. I didn't consider this as a mystical experience at all. I know very well the positive effects of sound therapy and meditation, being an amateur practicioner. When I feel out of focus, I would usually listen to an instrumental piece of music that's loaded with Theta and Delta wave pulses, and they seem to do the trick for me.

What I didn't know was that I was about to take the practice home with me.

I will not expound so much on the details of Nichiren Buddhism because I'm not quite the expert on it. I'm still a bit of the guinea pig - still trying if the whole thing works out. I know it's too early to report positive results as I've only been chanting for a week. But tonight, I caught myself doing something I wouldn't have thought of doing in a gazillion years (not even the slightest bit!).

Although it may look a tad insane, I'll take my chances and share it anyway.

I caught myself telling this little guy, "I LOVE YOU", and I was possessed by a burning desire to hug the little thing! While we all know it's impossible to hug a fish, but I did it anyway by putting my arms around his 2 gallon fishbowl.

I HUGGED MY PET FISH BECAUSE I WAS TOO HAPPY.

Oh Lord, I think I am losing it.