A Successful Event

Today I hosted a Health Fair at the Retirement Community where I work.

And tonight, in a few minutes, I will be hosting a Buddhist Meeting at my house.

I chanted my hour and a half this morning with so much energy!

I realized my goals for the two events today were similar...I chanted for everyone involved in the fair today to benefit from being there...for all the attendees and exhibitors to have a positive experience.

And I chanted for all who come to the meeting to leave invigorated in their Buddhist practice and ready to take on whatever problems they are facing head on...and challenge them...and overcome them with their practice. Not just overcome them...but produce a sparkling benefit where the problem used to be! We call this "turning poison into medicine."

I know that no problems are more powerful than chanting Nam Myoho Renge Kyo. Chanting unleashes the power of the universe you already possess!!! You just have to do it! And help others to the best of your ability, and learn about why it works. Then...YOU ARE THE BUDDHA! You always were the Buddha anyway. But NOW you get to experience it! Go YOU!

Surprise Benefits

You know, sometimes benefits come when you least expect them...and you may even fight against them. I experienced that yesterday.
I have a really busy week, today I ran a huge event at my retirement home and tonight I have a Buddhist meeting in Downers Grove Illinois - all are welcome!

Yesterday my husband came home and said he wanted to buy a car...had it all picked out and everything...he'd done his shopping. He asked me to go with him to buy it and I just felt so pushed to my limits!
"Why now?" I asked..."I'm too busy...tomorrow is my huge event!! Noooo."

But he convinced me and I headed out with him. It turns out he'd found a great deal on a car that has On Star, it plays my ipod over the speakers, it has XM radio, and the seats actually raise up so I can see over the steering wheel. It really is perfect. In the end I am very happy and this really is a benefit, but mannnn, I was kicking and screaming!

Sometimes, when you're chanting a lot, you just have to trust and go with the flow and not kick and scream so much!

The Oneness of Mentor and Disciple

This is another term we use in the practice of this Buddhism.

"The oneness of Mentor and Disciple"

Now, I don't know about you, I love the term "mentor", but I'm not so crazy about the term "disciple".
What could be a better word for disciple? I haven't thought of one yet. Maybe you will. Let me know...

I really want to explain the concept to you because it is actually very, very cool.
I've mentioned Daisaku Ikeda several times on this blog. He is the President of the Soka Gakkai, the worldwide organization dedicated to education, peace and culture. He is dedicating his life to Kosen Rufu (a world that honors and respects the dignity of life - a world without war and prejudice ~ a peaceful world). And when I say dedicating his life, I really mean that. He works every single moment toward this goal. He has written more than 200 books, lofty tomes, not light reading. He has met with world leaders everywhere...He has received over 250 honorary doctorates from universities around the world. He has founded Soka grade schools, high schools and universities. We have our own Soka University in Alisa Viejo California...built from the ground up ~ dedicated to the education of World Citizens...its goal is to produce people of the highest caliber who want to make a positive difference in the world.
And the way I personally think of Daisaku Ikeda is like this:
he is like a motor spinning faster than I can imagine. When I connect my ichinen, my intention, my prayer, to his energy...I can move that much faster.
This morning as I was leading the daimoku (chanting of Nam Myoho Renge Kyo) in the Illinois Area Activity Center in Woodale (on Irving Park Rd.) I asked for Daisaku Ikeda to come and join me in my prayers...I chanted that he be with us the whole time I was chanting...and that each person chanting with me experience a closer connection to their own life than ever before...that they connect so powerfully to who they really are...that they experience a huge breakthrough from this half hour of chanting. I was chanting for President Ikeda's energy to be right there in the room with us. I know I was glowing...I know we were all chanting very strongly...I know it was what we like to call "FIGHTING DAIMOKU!" when you're chanting so strongly that the energy of it all just makes you sweat!!!! Man.....it is so worth doing! You can do it alone or with others...it is so much fun with others!
I hope everyone reading this gets to experience this feeling.
When you chant this way you KNOW, deep in your bones, and with every fiber of your being that no matter what you are facing - you will win!!!!! And then you see the results of it in your life. No kidding! Woohoo!

Great Benefits - Practice for Oneself and Others

Practitioners of this Buddhism live by several outstanding ideals. One o them is "Practice for Oneself and Others"

Our lives are the most filled with benefits when we are chanting and encouraging each other...in fact...it is essential to our own happiness to be also working toward the happiness of others.

Here are some recent highlights and benefits surrounding my life and Daimoku Campaign:

Birthday week! Such a great week! I got two really unexpected surprises on my birthday that touched my heart!

One is the start of a whole new friendship that will bring me great joy!

The other was a magnificent arrangement of flowers...from someone so dear in my heart...the most beautiful flowers I have ever received...with sunflowers that look as striking right now as they did four days ago.

And I'm not the only one with great things happening. Every week I've been getting together with three friends to chant. Tonight we met again. These great friends are having benefits all over the place.

Jenny's about to go to a nine week Bikram Yoga teacher training...and is also buying a new condo "in heaven" on the 14th floor really close to where I live...she also had some realizations that have made a huge difference in her life.

Mary's about to go on a Wisdom course single's cruise and she's lost 8 pounds and looks better than ever!

Melissa has such cool benefits in the works that will be shared at a later time.

And me...well...my Mom had to have a procedure done today to help stabilize her heart rhythm and she's in great shape. I chanted my daimoku for her this morning and she truly had angels around her for the whole procedure...angels in the form of incredible nurses and Doctors at Good Samaritan Hospital in Downers Grove. Tomorrow Ben goes to Homecoming, I go to Bikram Yoga for the first time and my friend Eddie Lee comes into town!
Nam Myoho Renge Kyo!

Birthday notes

This morning I chanted an hour and a half with determination for this year in my life. I thought of a year from now...an important birthday...and where I want to be then...and how many people I want to have chanting along with me in Downers District!

I had a great birthday...with so much love in my life...
so many wonderful friends...and such great family...only my Mommy fell and hit her head and I spent the afternoon with her in the ER. They kept her overnight, but I was there for the crucial time...when they were trying to put in IV in. I have to demand a paramedic for her and her tiny little veins. Then I have to chant while he puts it in...they've blown so many of her veins...but all was well...
Then my sister came for the evening and I was off to see Jersey Boys. I know, I know...I'm probably the last person in the world to see this play. It was all they said it was and more. What a wonderful show.

Nam Myoho Renge Kyo!

New Responsibilities!

Hello!
Wonderful Weekend! Wonderful day!
Today I took on the reponsibility of supporting a district of the SGI.
I will be hosting meetings every Wednesday night in Downers Grove Illinois. They will be filled with the excitement of tapping into our own inner strength. Each one of us will leave feeling excited and ready to take on new challenges. We'll chant, we'll study, we'll make new friends. Each meeting begins at 7 and lasts until 8:30.

You know...problems don't stop when you start chanting...but you develop an unshakable spirit...knowing you have all the power of the Universe right in your hand...no problem can possibly defeat you.
If you're anywhere near Downers and want to attend just send me a comment.
By the way...I moved my exercise bike up into my living room and believe it or not you barely even notice it...and I'm biking away. I'm not giving up...I'm not giving up!!!

Prayer in Buddhism

Prayer in this practice is very different than most forms of prayer.
While we are chanting we are busy focusing our thoughts like a laser beam cutting through our karma.
We are not "asking" anyone for anything...
We are instead making a vow or a determination
to accomplish something.
That's so different, isn't it?
We are chanting Nam Myoho Renge Kyo
and at the same time vowing to win in whatever endeavor we desire.

Daisaku Ikeda says it best:

When your determination changes,
everything else will begin to move
in the direction you desire.
The moment you resolve to be victorious,
every nerve and fiber in your being
will immediately orient itself
toward your success.
On the other hand, if you think
"This is never going to work out,"
then at that instant
every cell in your being
will be deflated and give up the fight,
and then,
everything really WILL move
in the direction of failure.

For Today and Tomorrow
Daily Encoragement
for September 20th
Daisaku Ikeda

Delicious Daimoku! Chanting from my heart!

I just finished the most delicious daimoku (chanting of Nam Myoho Renge Kyo)! I have to share it with you quickly before I head off to my wonderful job.

I chanted and hour and a half straight...only stopping to fill my mug of Earl Grey tea and milk!

I could feel the power welling from within my body...chanting from the "bottom of my heart" felt even more like chanting from deep within my body.

I chanted in appreciation for my life, I chanted to fulfill my mission for Kosen Rufu (a world that DIGNIFIES all of life), I chanted to be an inspiration to people...and to somehow strengthen my faith that I can accomplish my goals...I will be healthy, and pain free, I will be able to wear size 8 clothing, I will fulfill my goals, I chanted with faith in my own power to create my own life...in other words...enlightenment! I chanted for all the people I have on the wall by my altar...for all of them to be incredibly happy, I chanted for my family ...for my sons to RUN FREE and be strong and have great Cross Country seasons and create life-long memories. I chanted for the Community I work in, and the town I live in! I chanted for the leaders of our country to have wisdom and make the best decisions. And I chanted for my own sparkling day today...that I be bright and productive and that I appreciate and enjoy every minute. I chanted for this blog to inspire and reach people everywhere! I chanted for you!

You can see why I never wanted this daimoku to end!

I hope you have an exhilarating and magnificent day!

Chanting 5 minutes can be enough for a breakthrough!!!

Would you be interested in knowing that chanting only five minutes has the power to turn your whole life around?
I know, I know...it sounds too good to be true, but I have seen it happen!

The first 5 minute experience happened with a dear friend when I lived in San Francisco. Her daughter had been going through numerous challenges ever since she was quite young. Now she was a troubled teenager. She couldn't seem to fit in anywhere...she couldn't seem to save herself and my friend was really at a loss.

My friend is an intellectual...sometimes the smartest people have the hardest time chanting! Their brains just won't stop telling them that they are too smart for all of this! They want to figure it all out...but you can't figure this out...it's experiential! You have to do it!

However...this one time...at the end of her rope...my friend chanted.

Her daughter was in jail...again...and my friend came over. I said "what do you have to lose?" and she chanted FIVE minutes with me. She was chanting for her daughter to be allowed back into the place she had just been. I'll never forget chanting with her.
After that, she went to visit her daughter in jail and they chanted 20 minutes together!! OMG!

The daughter did not get back into the place they had hoped for...she ended up in a much better place...a place that saved her life. It was a place in Colorado that WOULD NOT kick her out if she ran away...and they had a beauty school, something my friend's daughter really wanted to learn. It set her on the right course. It was life changing.

It all started with 5 minutes.

Whenever you chant Nam Myoho Renge Kyo it's as if you are reciting the entire Lotus Sutra. You are, in a way...speaking the words of the Buddha that you REALLY are...and accessing the power that has always been yours!

Chanting is a tool to access your own Buddhahood.

Rock and roll!

Buddhist Meetings

Soka Gakkai Buddhist Meetings are so cool.

Many are held just in normal people's homes. Some are held at the many culture centers throughout the world. They are all conducted by lay people like myself. All of us are equals and there are no priests.

They take many forms...discussion meetings...study meetings...tozos (chanting meetings) and other types of lectures etc.

I love hosting them at my house.

They usually last an hour and a half. In a discussion meeting half an hour is chanting, then the rest of the time is made up of study and experiences.
There is also a time where we discuss some aspects of the practice...an overview for guests.
We talk about why we started practicing...and what we have achieved.
Then someone gives an experience. Experiences detail a challenge someone has had...how they've chanted about it...and how they've overcome it and triumphed.

If one of my readers wants to share an experience let me know! I would love to include you in this blog.

Have you aver attended an event that fundamentally changed your life forever? Your eyes were opened and you never saw things the same way again? That's how I chant for every attendee at my meetings.
I chant for the success of the meeting...for every single person to be a different person as they leave the meeting...more inspired than ever...seeing themselves in a whole different light...Ready to take on each adn every challenge they're facing...I chant for each and every person to never be the same after a meeting! In an awe inspiring way. And I chant for all my Buddhist friends and all people chanting every where to really GET how awesome the power is in their own lives!

Remember : Dream Big...chanting is to make the impossible come true!

Great Weekend

What a weekend!
I've had a cold since Friday, but have had some fun this weekend anyway. The weather has been perfect weather for me...bright sun...warm! Yaaay!
Yesterday was such a highlight!

My son Ben ran in the Lake Park meet. I picked up my Mom from her Assisted Living (OPH she calls it "Old People's Home"!) and brought her up to Lake Park by the Medinah Country Club to watch Ben's Cross Country meet. It was an amazing day. There were over 1100 high school runners there, both boys and girls. Ben ran in first place for the entire race...until they came onto the track and he ended up coming in second...but it was still such a victory for him. He PR'd at 13:48 for the three mile race and was in great shape at the end of the race...(not gasping for air or lying on the ground!) he was interviewed by the Daily Herald. It was so exciting!

After dropping my Mom back off in Bolingbrook I stopped at the library and found a fabulous book that I have already finished today. It's called Foreign Tongue...A Novel of Life and Love in Paris and it's written in the first person (my absolute favorite style) about a woman who was raised in LA and in Paris. In the book she moves back to Paris to cure her broken heart and ends up translating a French romantic novel. It had everything, romance, humor, and the fascinating study of words in two languages. I love the idea of untranslatable concepts...it opens a whole world of how Americans and other cultures think. Loved it! Vanina Marsot is the author and it's her first book. Thank you Vanina! You made a weekend with a bad cold fly by! And it brought me back to my french roots. Both my grandparents were French Canadian on my mother's side. I love the language.

I also took out all the CD's of Vaughn Williams, my favorite composer. His music has the power to transport me to magical lands...I am so looking forward to listening...over and over!

Even though I've been sick I've still managed to chant.
Tomorrow night is the first Buddhist meeting at my house in a long time.
Nam Myoho Renge Kyo!

Quote from Daisaku Ikeda

Nothing can match the strength
of those whose lives have been shaped and forged
through challenging and overcoming hardships.
Such people fear nothing.
The purpose of our Buddhist practice
is to develop such strength and fortitude.
To cultivate such an invincible core
is in itself a victory.
It is also the greatest benefit.
Those who can succeed in this endeavor
will savor unsurpassed happiness;
they can manifest the state of Buddhahood.

Daisaku Ikeda
For Today and Tomorrow

Human Revolution

I have told you exactly what I'm chanting for...to free my life from the undercurrent of suffering that has always been within my life and awaken to my true Buddha nature.
I am chanting two hours every day, I am chanting with my friends and encouraging them...I am making every cause every day to have this break through in my life.

What does is feel like?

It feels like the center of my life is some hot volcano...it underlies everything...sometimes it's dormant...sometimes I can quiet it with food or other diversions...and sometimes it just boils up and over!

I'll just bet you know what I mean. I really think we all have this in some form...and all find ways to tamp it down...deal with it...ignore it...and it's probably at the heart of illness itself.

Yesterday I awakened into the reality of the pain all fresh and new.

Now, I know I can summon happiness from within my life...I KNOW this intellectually, and I KNOW the only real love comes from within. Of course, of course.

But the knowledge of this doesn't help when I wake up with tears already in my eyes and a longing and regret that won't just be pushed away. I was thinking about how long I've had this pain...this longing...this insatiable hunger. I've attributed it to many things...in High School it was "caused" by my longing for a boy I couldn't have, in college it was just general sadness, and since then it's been longing for one thing or person after another...just a sense of never having enough.

Don't get me wrong, I have a great life, I have a wonderful career, I have an inspiring and dedicated family, I have many dear, dear friends, and feel great appreciation much of the time...but there has been this sadness under it forever. Probably for many lifetimes.

And among my Buddhist friends there are so many excellent roll models who have conquered their sadness and overcome great obstacles...I know that I can too.

So, I called my friend Kate Randolph, the incredibly talented actress, producer and director...and also the person who introduced me to this practice 25 years ago. She has had this breakthrough for herself. Here is what she said:

First she said that my victory is assured.
I will experience the happiness that comes from accessing my own Buddhahood.
I will bring the love I wish to feel from within my life. I will stop looking for it to come from somewhere else. I will accomplish my goal. I am chanting two hours a day, I am focusing on my happiness and the happiness of others. I am joined in heart with my mentor Daisaku Ikeda.
And I must go through it to the end. As it says in the Gosho "the wise will rejoice while the foolish will retreat." She said I must realize that I am turning around years...lifetimes...of devaluing my life. I must praise it instead!
I must realize that I'm waging this battle not only for myself, and see it for the noble fight it is. Face it, MOST people think their happiness and suffering lie OUTSIDE of themselves.
That's the world we live in.
If I can break through that illusion in my own life, I can raise the vibration of the whole planet. That is what we mean by the Term Human Revolution...any real change on the planet is affected by each of us being strong and brave enough to do what it takes to break through.
Since we are all interconnected to everything else...all part of the web of life...human revolution MUST effect everything in the environment.

She said Kosen Rufu (world peace) means having a planet that fundamentally dignifies life. Imagine that!

We Buddhas, all of us, everyone, can be deeply, profoundly, limitlessly happy right now, right where we are, just as we are.

Bring it on!

Nam Myoho Renge Kyo!!!!

What does Nam Myoho Renge Kyo Mean?

So glad you asked!

Nam Myoho Renge Kyo means:
"I fuse my life with the mystic law of cause and effect through sound vibration".
I like to think of it as "I am one with the flow of life" because that's what it does...it puts you right in rhythm with your own life and everything around you.

It's a law. It works whether you believe in it or not.

People all over the world chant this phrase with the Sokka Gakkai International. The Website link is sgi-usa.org. I've posted it next to the copy of this blog. I encourage you to go there. Call the center nearest you and get the name of someone who practices near you. It doesn't cost anything...you don't have to "do" anything to chant. Just try!

It's truly a practice for anyone...no rules...no dues...no eating restrictions...just chant!
And practice. Chant every morning and evening...then you'll be writing me to tell me your results! Remember...dream big...go for the impossible!

The Three Proofs in Buddhism

Sunday's two hour tozo (chanting two hours) at the center was really challenging! I lead the chanting (the microphone was given to me, so I set the pace and the rhythm) from 8:30 until 9:00 am and it seemed like a very long time! Time is so funny, isn't it...sometimes I can chant a whole two hours or more and barely look at the clock, other times a half hour feels like forever!
When I first started chanting I was determined to chant 5 minutes every morning and evening. Sometimes that 5 minutes seemed like an eternity. I'm sure I stopped at 4 and 1/2 minutes sometimes! But the effort was worth it...I started to see results so soon. I started to feel lighter, I got a job, I met John Denver for the first time...so many things began to happen when I started chanting.

Now, I am digging so deep in my prayer. I am determined to rid my life of the underlying suffering that has always been in my life. I am determined to be aware of my own Buddha nature, to feel it, see it, appreciate it all the time...or as much as possible! I want to feel the love that is all around me all the time. I want to access an even deeper love for my own self...I know this transformation is possible.

And as I mentioned a few blogs ago, I am also chanting to get these thoughts of regret and sadness OUT of my brain!

I am chanting for so many people. I keep pictures of everyone up on my wall by my altar, and chant for them!

I am also chanting to know which foods are best for my body, to actually want to eat healthy foods and to be more beautiful, more radiant, more healthy than ever before! I am chanting to be an example, and to show actual proof of the power of chanting Nam Myoho Renge Kyo. I am chanting to inspire people...many people to try chanting to see for themselves!

There are three proofs in Buddhism:

1) Is the practice rooted in original Buddhist doctrine?
The answer is YES, this practice goes back to the Lotus Sutra, expounded by Shakyamuni Buddha.

2) Does it accord with common sense?
The answer is YES, and that's one of the best things about this practice. It all just makes sense. OF COURSE you are the universe! OF COURSE you don't need a priest or interpreter to access that power. What you need is a tool. That tool is chanting Nam Myoho Renge Kyo!

3) Is there actual proof of this practice? ~ Does it work? Does it get results? This is the most important of the three proofs.
The answer is YES, but please don't take my word for it!
I hope you'll prove to yourself that the answer is YES. It is purely experiential. I dare you to have the courage it takes to chant and see for yourself! Nam Myoho Renge Kyo!

Glorious Family Day

This weekend has been wonderful. Aaron, my precious older son came home from U of I to watch his brother run in the Leavy Invite Cross Country meet in St Charles. It was a perfect day. I was only able to chant an hour and fifteen minutes before the race because I use my phone as my alarm and I'd turned my phone off the night before while I was in the theater watching Julie and Julia. Loved the show.

Anyway, back to glorious Saturday. The best thing was my Mom. Last year at this time she was sick...her sister was sick...she couldn't attend the race. This year she not only attended, but after the race we went to the Oak Brook art fair and met the boys at the Clubhouse for dinner...and Mom stayed out till almost eight pm. She did all this with multiple oxygen tanks and her wonderful purple rolling walker with the seat! We laughed...and enjoyed each other's company...and when I dropped her off at her assisted living community we both chanted to HER Gohonzon for a full 8 minutes - she was in full voice with plenty of breath ~ and she was so excited when we ended..."Did you hear that?" she said! "Did you hear how strong I was? I chanted with no problem!. Maybe I'll be off this oxygen soon!".
There is nothing on earth better than chanting with your dear loved ones. You can feel the power blooming in their lives! Go Mom!

The race itself was amazing. Last year Ben (my son) came in first, and it was very exciting, but he was wasted at the end. It took him a long time to recover his breathing and his color. He was chanting last year too. He was running ahead of everyone, and in cross country races you run into the woods. At one point he started to go dowm the wrong path, and the boy behind him (who would have won the race if Ben had lost his way) corrected him. Isn't that something? I thanked that outstanding young gentleman and took a picture of the two of them togehter with their medals around their necks after the award ceremony.

This year Ben had a breakthrough. He came in fourth, He came in strong. He had a kick at the end. His first time to really get a kick! He was elated!! He chanted all week with me. I got him on film in all his glowing happiness. I love being a Mom. I adore my life!
Nam Myoho Renge Kyo!

Making the Impossible Possible

We chant to accomplish the Impossible!

"You have to chase your dreams,
no matter what.
The impossible
just takes a little longer.
One stroke at a time,
one step at a time,
the impossible
is easy to achieve."
Toni Murden

Raising Amazing Kids

Where should I start?
Being a Buddhist parent is so USEFUL.
Practical Buddhism helps with everything parenting related.

When I was pregnant I chanted a million Daimoku for my child.
I chanted for maturity...wisdom...for my child's health and good karma. I chanted that my prayers would bring him into this world with so much of his karma already taken care of. I chanted for him to have a dream and pursue it.,..not wander aimlessly like I did for so long...learning the hard way! I chanted for prosperity and a beautiful home....and all of it came true.

He has been a beacon of good sense, wisdom, leadership, intelligence and heart since the day he was born. He has been a leader in every endeavor. The honors at graduation from high school just kept coming and coming...and the scholarships too (he applied for them all by himself). He is in college now and chants in his fraternity. We are very close.

My second child is amazing in so many ways. He is a natural musician and composer, and has the knack of perfect comic timing. He's an actor and an athlete and is totally committed to his sport of running.
He is a joy to be around. He challenges himself at every turn.
He and his brother are very close.

Both of my guys started chanting when they were around two years old and wanted to stop having bad dreams. We chanted 5 minutes together and the bad dreams went away. Occasionally the dreams would reappear and we'd chant again and they'd be gone.
Both children have had sports careers that have kept them chanting, they have so much to be proud of.
I have trusted them both, and urged them to trust themselves always.
I've always encouraged them to listen to their inner wisdom and it never lets them down. They are also fortunate to have a wonderful, loving, attentive father.

I always have trusted my kids and they have never betrayed that trust. They don't drink or smoke or eat junk food....but they do leave their stuff in the living room so they aren't perfect! When we chant together it is like the angels singing together.

They have each had many other experiences with chanting...I'll share some others as time goes on.

Do you have parenting questions? Let me know, I'd love to help!

Great Week!

What a great week...so busy. Do you ever have times that time just speeds up? This week was like that for me...fun...productive. It's amazing how life goes when you are entirely in rhythm. You can barely even make a mistake. No kidding.
That's the power of chanting Nam Myoho Renge Kyo!

Friday morning I THOUGHT I had an appointment at 10:00am...it turned out it was at 11:30 and I had another set up at 1:00...leaving only an hour and a half for the first tour. I was a little concerned when I reallized I'd booked them a little too closely, then I thought "you're chanting two hours of daimoku a day...everything will work out". And it so happened that the first tour came early and the second was arranged easily for 15 minutes later and it all worked out great!

What are some of my other results from chanting recently?
I'm happier...calmer...less depressed.
I haven't felt anxiety in quite a while.
My Mom is doing so well!
She's getting healthier and happier every day.
My friends are chanting!
My boys are amazing ...more on them to come!
Business is great...I'm having a blast and being so productive!
I'm appreciating so many more moments in each day.

One of my closest friends is just glowing. We're chanting together every Sunday morning for two hours and when she is ready she will launch one of the most popular children's books of all time. Her relationship with her family is better than ever. She had many breakthroughs this week. That makes me so happy!!!!
What else...I had a breakthrough regarding a certain deep pain I've been chanting to release. I had a realization that is helping me on my way to healing it forever. I still have a certain refrain that goes through my head about it..."if only I hadn't...if I could just turn back time...if only I hadn't been so emotional..." and I'm getting so bored with this refrain. I'm really going to chant to replace these words with something empowering in my mind instead. I am determined to stop going down that road in my mind...it always makes me sad. Believe me, I know I should learn from my mistakes...and I have learned. There's really no reason to keep going to the same sorry place in my mind. I know that's not productive! It won't help anything. Voice be gone!!
Nam Myoho Renge Kyo. I can chant for anything I want!

The Best Quote on Happiness Ever!

Happiness
by Daisaku Ikeda

The purpose of life is to attain happiness.
Happiness is something you have to feel inside.
It is something you have to build for yourself.
It is something that lives within you.
That is why the state of your inner realm, your life,
is so crucial to your being happy.
Happiness is not in some far off place.
Happiness exists within your own life.
It is within a single thought in your mind.
You, yourself are the most precious of all.
You have no need to be envious of anyone
or to long for things far away.
Faith and one's single minded desire
to achieve Kosen Rufu (world peace)
are what makes this self of yours shine its brightest
and develop its highest potential;
they are what fill you with good fortune,
satisfaction and eternal joy.
This is the essence of true happiness,
A palace exists within your own life.
When you open that palace
you can be happy wherever you are.