Welcome back to Butability, a weekly interview series about the amazing ability we all have

to change our lives and the world if we're brave enough to tap into it. I'm your host, Ghi Jolly.

Today we're talking about what inner transformation or human revolution through a consistent

practice of chanting Namyo Hōren Gekyo looks like.

Our guest is Judy of Oakland, California, a writer and lecturer who shares her incredible

journey of many decades practicing

Buddhism and how it helped her become a person who takes great care of herself and others.

I'll let Judy share the rest.

My name is Judy Juanita.

I'm in Oakland, California, and I am full-time a lecturer at the University of California at Berkeley, and I'm also a writer.

Amazing. I'm excited to talk a little bit about your career, but also your life and your Buddhist

practice. So thank you for taking the time to share your story. So for bootability,

we always like to start every episode with hearing a little bit of the story of how somebody

encountered Buddhism and why they decided to start chanting.

So if you could tell me briefly, you know, when you first encountered Buddhism,

what was sort of going on in your life at the time and why were you interested in starting to chant?

Namyo-hōringa-hike-yo.

When I was in my 20s, I was in a very bad marriage, and I was suffering very badly.

I remember standing in a bedroom of my apartment and calling out to the universe and saying, why is this happening?

There must be a better way, you know?

So in that general framework of going through the end of a marriage and going through a tumultuous divorce,

then I encountered someone who told me about chanting.

...