Be Happy Now! Root Suffering from your life.

Many of the world's religions say that there is something to be gained from suffering. Not Nichiren Daishonin's Buddhism. 

Yes. Suffering is part of life, for sure. But it is not something to "be born" and we are not here to "master suffering." No. We are here to be happy. The purpose of life is happiness, and chanting Nam Myoho Renge Kyo can tap into your happiness and bring it into reality. 

When the original Buddha back in 500 B.C. was on his search for enlightenment, he tried living the ascetic life. He went around begging and was poor and cold and hungry. He realized this was not the way of Buddhism. Suffering is not innately virtuous, and he was no closer to enlightenment. When he sat under the Bodhi tree he realized he possessed the entire universe within. He had the realization of that fact. And he spent the rest of his life working to help others gain that experience. But he did not see suffering as an end in itself. 

So...
If you are suffering. 
Make a determination to change whatever it is that is making you suffer. This blog was born out of heartbreak more than three years ago. I determined to chant to CHANGE forever the suffering I was experiencing. I knew I could do it. And I did. 

My Power Prayer was :

I am determined to experience my brilliant Buddha self. I am determined to raise my life condition. I am determined to develop a strong, strong core of life so that NOTHING will bring me to this state of unhappiness ever again. I am determined to strengthen my life from deep within and to shed happiness wherever I go. I don't CARE if the sadness keeps rearing its ugly face along the way. I WILL WIN and I will defeat it forever. I am determined to become happy so that I can inspire others to be happy. If I can become happy, anyone can become happy"

And I kept chanting that way. It did not change the first time I chanted that way. But I kept making the determination over and over again. Along the way I realized that I often felt sorry for myself..."Why me?" I would ask in my head. When I saw that tendency I decided to root it out of my life and never feel sorry for myself again. It came back again and again and every time it did I said in my head while I was chanting "Be gone with you! Sadness, feeling sorry for myself, BE GONE! My higher self will win. I will be incredibly happy and spend every waking moment helping other people realize that they can be happy too."

That is how this blog was born. Out of unhappiness into happiness. Today I may still have challenges of a different sort, and no one is ever going to be perfect. I am a Buddha and a human being, just like you. But I have an indestructible feeling, a solid sense of self and appreciation that flows from me at every moment for my wonderful life, this incredible practice, all of you readers, and for Daisaku Ikeda. I smile all day long and so can you. 

I believe in you, and your strength and determination will make you shine!