Wisdom and Strength ~ Wisdom and Strength!

Chanting for wisdom and strength, 
for wisdom and strength - 
then I read this quote below today. 
I love it when my chanting and the guidance just dovetails. 
I love being in rhythm! 

I've been keeping my two hour a day daimoku campaign going...and along with that I'm working out every day and eating on a healthy plan...I feel my life changing...the ground beneath me shifting. 

I made it through Thanksgiving, my first Thanksgiving without Ben and for the most part just kept my life condition sky high. You know, dealing with grief is similar to overcoming any emotional storm. I let it out when I need to, and I soar above it with Daimoku by my determined prayer to turn poison into medicine and create value from his life and death. 

With every Daimoku I chant "I am changing my karma with this Daimoku right thus very second. THIS Daimoku. THIS Daimoku!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "In the course of his inquiry into the kind of religion that might best serve humankind's future, Dr. Toynbee became deeply interested in Mahayana Buddhism. He strongly asserted that the role religion should be to teach self-mastery, stating as one of his reasons that "to master oneself is the essence of religion as I see it, and...this precept is, I believe, the only effective response to the challenge of being human."

"Self-mastery means 
developing wisdom and strength through responding courageously 
to the challenges posed by unbridled desires 
and negative emotions 
such as hatred that arise within oneself. 
It means to overcome 
the limitations of one's present self 
to grow into a better and stronger person."

Daisaku Ikeda
From the December 2015 Living Buddhism, SGI president Ikeda's Lecture Series based on the Gosho 
"The Great Battle" - "Those With Steadfast Faith Enjoy Immeasurable Good Fortune and Benefit" 

Daimoku = Winning!

Aaron Michael Silver won the Bonfield 5K today in Downtown Downers Grove! Ben must have been with him...running, running, running! 

And all around the country Silver family members ran or walked in races for Benjamin Lee Silver.

Wonderful!

This has been a great week so far. 
In the midst of Aaron's busy schedule (he graduates medical school in the spring), we chanted several strong hours of daimoku together this week.  

And, because of chanting two hours a day, I am ENJOYING this day...I am loving it all. My prayer these days has been to Uphold the Dignity of my own life! 

It is a strong prayer, and I can feel the power surging through me as I chant and pray. Nam-myoho-renge-kyo - We ALL are dignified Buddhas in the midst of relearning our own Buddhahood...together in the SGI and with our mentor Daisaku Ikeda. We are so fortunate!

This week I had some financial karma come back, and I chanted for strength and wisdom, strength and wisdom, and was able to wisely change something negative into something positive. 

This practice is amazing. What could have been the saddest day ever is filled with joy. This practice truly is the key to living as the Buddha of Absolute Freedom! BAF! 


Chanting for all of you!

Thanksgiving Gratitude - Some proof Gratitude makes you healthy!

In the November 13, 2015 World Tribune; from Sensei, 

"By chanting Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo, 

we can create the most positive value from 

everything in our lives, 

including our strengths and weaknesses, 

joys and sorrows, and pleasures and sufferings. 

Those who chant, irrespective of their situations, 

make the sun rise steadily in the sky of their hearts 

and are able to produce a rainbow of victory."

Happy Thanksgiving! I am grateful for YOU! 

This week I had a huge professional breakthrough by chanting for strength and wisdom. 

Here is an article I'd like to share with you today, Thanksgiving in the states: 

From NPR: 

As we launch into Thanksgiving week, consider this: Research shows that feeling grateful doesn't just make you feel good. It also helps — literally helps — the heart.

A positive mental attitude is good for your heart. It fends off depression, stress and anxiety, which can increase the risk of heart disease, says Paul Mills, a professor of family medicine and public health at the University of California San Diego School of Medicine. Mills specializes in disease processes and has been researching behavior and heart health for decades. He wondered if the very specific feeling of gratitude made a difference, too.

So he did a study. He recruited 186 men and women, average age 66, who already had some damage to their heart, either through years of sustained high blood pressure or as a result of heart attack or even an infection of the heart itself. They each filled out a standard questionnaire to rate how grateful they felt for the people, places or things in their lives.

It turned out the more grateful people were, the healthier they were. "They had less depressed mood, slept better and had more energy," says Mills.

And when Mills did blood tests to measure inflammation, the body's natural response to injury, or plaque buildup in the arteries, he found lower levels among those who were grateful — an indication of better heart health.

So Mills did a small follow-up study to look even more closely at gratitude. He tested 40 patients for heart disease and noted biological indications of heart disease such as inflammation and heart rhythm. Then he asked half of the patients to keep a journal most days of the week, and write about two or three things they were grateful for. People wrote about everything, from appreciating children to being grateful for spouses, friends, pets, travel, jobs and even good food.

After two months, Mills retested all 40 patients and found health benefits for the patients who wrote in their journals. Inflammation levels were reduced, and heart rhythm improved. And when he compared their heart disease risk before and after journal writing, there was a decrease in risk after two months of writing in their journals. Those results have been submitted to a journal, but aren't yet published.

Mills isn't sure exactly how gratitude helps the heart, but he thinks it's because it reduces stress, a huge factor in heart disease.

"Taking the time to focus on what you are thankful for," he says, "letting that sense of gratitude wash over you — this helps us manage and cope."

And helps keep our hearts healthy.

The Power of Prayer by Daisaku Ikeda

Prayer by Daisaku Ikeda

Prayer is the courage to persevere. 

It is the struggle to overcome our own weakness 

and lack of confidence in ourselves. 

It is the act of impressing 

in the very depths of our being 

the conviction 

that we can change the situation without fail.

Prayers are invisible, 

but if we pray steadfastly 

they will definitely affect clear results in our lives 

and surroundings over time. 

This is the principle of the true entity of all phenomena. 

Faith means having confidence in this invisible realm.

Prayer is the way to destroy all fear. 

It is the way to banish sorrow, 

the way to light a torch of hope. 

It is the revolution 

that rewrites the scenario of our destiny.

Prayers are neither light dreams nor vague wishes. 

They should be firm pledges of determination.

Prayers made with such strong resolve 

invite clear results just as magnets attract iron.

Prayer entails an intense challenge 

to believe in oneself and stop diminishing yourself.

To belittle yourself 

is to disparage Buddhism 

and the Buddha within your life.

Prayer is an attempt 

to merge the inner workings of our life 

with the rhythm of the universe. 

When we pray in such a way, 

all the workings of the universe 

will function to protect us 

and the endless cycle of painful reality 

will be transformed 

into a cycle of victory and happiness. 

Prayer is the key to open the door 

to unleash that infinite human potential within our lives.

Prayer is not a feeble consolation; 

it is a powerful, unyielding conviction. 

And prayer must become manifest in action. 

To put it another way, 

if our prayers are in earnest, 

they will definitely give rise to action.

Daisaku Ikeda

9 Powerful Quotes to Let Our hearts Soar! by Daisaku Ikeda

When the doors of your heart are shut 

and you feel dark and isolated, 

look up to the sky and greet the clouds. 

Let the blue expanse 

open wide the window to your heart

and let in beauty and light. 

Climb upon the clouds 

and let your heart soar freely in the open air!

Freedom doesn’t mean the absence of all restrictions. It means possessing unshakable conviction in the face of any obstacle. This is true freedom.

Buddhism teaches that when we change the “single element of mind”—our fundamental way of thinking—we transform ourselves and our environment changes.

Buddhism teaches that the mind encompasses the entire universe. When we change our innermost state of mind, our whole being changes, and this affects the world in which we live. This is the teaching of the oneness of life and its environment, and the principle of a single life-moment possessing three thousand realms. Everything starts with a strong determination.

The quality of our lives ultimately depends upon our state of mind. As Milton famously wrote, “The mind is its own place, and in itself can make a Heav’n of Hell, a Hell of Heav’n.”

The human spirit is as expansive as the cosmos. This is why it is so tragic to belittle yourself or to question your worth. No matter what happens, continue to push back the boundaries of your inner life. The confidence to prevail over any problem, the strength to overcome adversity and unbounded hope—all reside within you.

My mentor would often tell me, “So much about a person can be learned from their voice.” Treasure your voice. It is a powerful force that can give courage and comfort to others. That is why we should strengthen and refine the inner core of our lives from which our voice emanates.

To lead a life in which we are inspired and can inspire others, our hearts have to be alive; they have to be filled with passion and enthusiasm. To achieve that, we need the courage to live true to ourselves. Rather than borrowing from or imitating others, we need the conviction to be able to think for ourselves and to take action out of our own sense of responsibility.

Whatever your circumstances, whatever your past, the forces that determine your future are nowhere but within your own heart and mind. It is here that the star of your destiny shines.We need to cultivate a state of life where we can thoroughly enjoy ourselves at all times. We should have such joy that even at the time of death we can declare with a happy smile: “That was wonderful! Where shall I go next?” Faith enables us to attain the kind of generous and all-embracing state of mind where we enjoy everything in our lives.

All quotes from Ikedaquotes.org

Ben's Memorial Mile

Readers of this blog know my son, Benjamin Lee Silver went on his next journey this summer. We miss him. And we are honoring him with Ben's Memorial Mile. 

I spent 8 hours of this weekend telling people about Ben's Memorial Mile, coming up on June 11th, 2016. Here I am with Aaron, Larry Lifson, a dear friend of ours, and Meg, Aaron's girlfriend. 

The race will be held at Downers Grove North High School, Downers Grove, Illinois, USA. It's much more than a race. There will be activities and events for people of all ages. There will be an elite mile for the fast runners, and there will also be events for people of all ages. My favorite is the race for little ones where they can "run" as any animal they want to be. That is totally "Benish" - he would love it. There will be walks for people like me :), and sponsorship tables of all kinds...

It was fun promoting this race this weekend. We saw people we haven't seen in years, and we met many people who knew Ben, or had heard about him. We're raising money for Schizophrenia research, cure, and help. There's a Facebook page "Ben's Memorial Mile." 

If you are considering joining us please let me know at chantforhappiness@gmail.com.
Tomorrow is Ben's Birthday. He would have been 23, on November 23rd. 
it's a good thing I've been chanting two hours a day....

All my best to you. 

How to Vanquish Recurring Karma

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Strength is Happiness. 
Strength is itself victory. 
In weakness and cowardice there is no happiness. 
When you wage a struggle, 
you might win or you might lose. 
But regardless of the short-term outcome, 
the very fact of your continuing to struggle 
is proof of your victory as a human being. 
A strong spirit, strong faith and strong prayer - 
developing these is victory 
and the world of Buddhahood."

Daisaku Ikeda, For Today and Tomorrow, page 50 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We all have it. That karmic pattern that we've chanted to end forever...and somehow, it ends for a bit then resurfaces in a different time and place. 

For some people it's a financial challenge, for others it might be within relationships, but at the core of it all, it's OUR karma and we need to keep our determination to change it. And for me, it usually involves some kind of courageous conversation, and drawing some resource from within my own life using wisdom to overcome, not cower from it. 

I picture our lives and karma like a spiral going upwards, and as I come around a bend, the karma resurfaces in some way...and it's up to me once again to write the story of my life. 

At the Gosho study meeting the other day, the leader said: "Whenever I encounter a trouble I remind myself I WRITE THE STORY OF MY LIFE. I'm the protagonist and the author. I'm sure I wrote a happy ending!" I loved that. It made me laugh! Of course, I made a happy ending. And right here, right now...I am building that happiness.

I just had a resurfacing of some karma involving greed on another's part. This time, because I am challenging my life in a new way, and I have been chanting two hours a day already, my life can rise to greet it and challenge it in a different way. I am also walking on my treadmill, eating well and using my strength training bands, so my BODY is stronger and healthier. THIS time, THIS time, the outcome will be different...will be right...will be true to myself, my new self of strength that I am building every day. 

So my first response was to chant two hours of daimoku "as if to make fire from wet logs." I chanted, and in my mind I hollered at the Shoten Zenjin "No Way! This time I will win over this karma forever!" And I'm about to start another two hours right now. I'm telling my life to open up in unexpected ways...assured that all kinds of good things are in store! 

And I'm chanting to find the right words for everything. I'm writing my speaker one-sheet, and defining just what it is I do for my audiences. After three speeches in three days, I am so energized! After yesterday's speech, one of the people came up to me and said: "You kept my attention the whole time! No speech ever keeps my attention!" and another woman told me she was going to use all the ideas I presented, and change her outlook forever. My speech focuses on our CHOICE to use words that make us happy. 

Right now it's snowing here in Chicago. It's pretty and my view is awesome. I'm grateful to park indoors. 

I'll be spending the day at an event promoting Ben's Memorial Mile. We are creating an event to honor Ben's life, bring the community together, and raise money for a cure for Schizophrenia. It's June 11th in Downers Grove Illinois. You are all invited! There will be races for all age groups of varying lengths. The last time I was at an event honoring Ben it was very hard for me...I'm going to chant about that too. STRENGTH! 

3 Ways to Become the Buddha of Absolute Freedom Today!!! Happy 85th Birthday SGI!

Happy Soka Gakkai Day! 

It's November 18th, The Soka Gakkai's 85th Birthday! There are many places you can go to read about November 18th's significance ~  sgi-usa.org is one of them. The history of the Gakkai is rich and inspiring. 

Three Ways to become the Buddha of Absolute Happiness!

1. Write your goals right now. Write them in any format you like. I write a narrative in present tense describing my life exactly as I want it. This is powerful. Our written words are important. Date your list! Dream big as my mento Amos says "You're a Buddha - Dream Big!"

2. Chant about anything you want to change. Stop thinking things are impossible or you are undeserving. Nam-myoho-renge-kyo is the power of the entire universe...when you chant you are tapping into a power that we haven't even begun to fathom. We know belief is part of it, and we also know it works without belief. Go for it. What do you really want to change. 

3. Tell others of your successes and Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. You are the Buddha of Absolute Happiness!!!! 

Today in the short time I have to write this blog I am going to answer a question I am receiving by email often. What do the Nam-myoho-renge-kyo cards I hand out look like? These are what I designed. I have them printed up at Staples. 
You can make your own or use the SGI's cards. I share this with you because I was asked!

Chant: Nam-myoho-renge-kyo

(Nahm Meeyooho Raingay Keyo)

To be happier than you ever imagined possible!

ChantforHappiness.com

Your blog for daily encouragement

Jamie Lee Silver

email: ChantforHappiness.com

630-926-3001, SGI-USA.org

Of course actual card looks a little different, but this is what I use. I also carry the SGI designed cards that don't have my telephone number on them just in case. My cards are white and I can write on the back easily - so I write the closest culture center to wherever I am when I give it out. I hope this helps!

Look ! A New SGI Member Through Finding this Blog! Thanks for all your shares!

Dear Jamie,

Two years back this time I had contacted you for the first time.
I have always felt connected to you. I don't miss a single blog of yours.

You had encouraged me to join SGI through emails and mainly through your blog.

This year I finally had joined SGI not knowing how beautiful this journey would be. I am very proud to let you know, in the event of 85th anniversary of Sokka Gakai, I received The Gohonzon during our District meeting today.

Feeling extremely blessed and grateful. I am grateful to you for encouraging me to join SGI although we have never met.

Regards,

Malobee (from Canada)

Everything is the Answer to Our Prayers

(You can subscribe to this blog my putting your email in the box to the right)

"While controlling your mind, 
which is at once both extremely subtle 
and solemnly profound, 
you should strive 
to elevate your faith with freshness and vigor. 
When you do so, 
both your life and your surroundings 
will open wide before you 
and every action you take 
will become a source of benefit. 
Understanding the subtle workings of one's mind 
is the key to faith and attaining Buddhahood in this lifetime." 

Daisaku Ikeda, For Today and Tomorrow, page 95. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Well, if you read yesterday's blog you know I chanted like the house was on fire on Sunday. I chanted deep, heartfelt Daimoku that THIS MOMENT I was changing my karma through THIS Daimoku. Two hours. Powerful stuff. 

When we chant powerful Daimoku, or do a toso (extended chanting session) sometimes what we get immediately following isn't exactly what we expect. We might expect the skies to open and our benefit to fall straight into our arms. But it isn't always like that. 

The key for me is to recognize WHATEVER HAPPENS as a benefit. 

On Sunday night after this powerful Daimoku, I did not feel well. During the night, I had a dream where I saw Ben as a young child and was crying out "my baby, my baby!" I woke up not feeling well and weeping. (If you are new to this blog you can go back to the July 4, 2015 post and read it, and the days that follow) 

Instead of thinking "Oh no...this Daimoku clearly did not work," I thought,"Even THIS could be the answer to my prayers. I haven't cried in a while...maybe it's time to process some grief."

I took the day to cry. We may be Buddhas, but we are still human beings, and we still feel pain, just like Nichiren Daishonin did. And my philosophy is to feel what I feel. (Unless of course I am in the middle of a presentation or it is not an appropriate moment...we have to use common sense.)

I believe that if I run from my sadness, closing it up tight every time I feel it, I will not be able to ever let it out, and heal. I feel (but cannot prove) that closing off these emotions might lead to disease.  And it was my great benefit that I did not have anything pressing I had to do. I decided to let my sadness flow...and such sweet sadness it was. 

I took out all of the letters I got this summer, many of them from YOU, all over the world, and I read them, and felt all the love, compassion and feeling from each of the words in the cards...and I cried until there were no more tears left for that day. Then I stopped, refreshed, wrote in my journal, and made some calls. 

Today, my heart is light, and I am ready for this exciting week where I have four presentations in three days. I'm presenting "Growing older, Bolder, BETTER!" at the Downers Grove, Illinois Library on Thursday night at 7:00. Call and reserve a space if you're close and want to attend. 

Tomorrow is November 18th, Ben's 100th day. Please join me in Daimoku for his brilliant, sparkling life. I see him being reborn soon, without the troubles of this life...with a Gohonzon in his home...and having a blast as a youth in 2030...full of hope, inspiration, perseverance and mirth! 

Yesterday I got an email from someone in Canada who found out about chanting from this blog and joined the SGI this week! Isn't that wonderful! It fills my heart with joy!

My address is 17w702 Butterfield #104, Oakbrook Terrace, IL 60181 and my email is chantforhappiness@gmail.com  

Karma Changing Chanting! Right Here Right Now!

RESOLVE

"The benefit of all the other sutras is uncertain, 
because they teach that one must first make good causes and only then 
can one become a Buddha at some later time. 
With regard to the Lotus Sutra, 
when one's hand takes it up, 
that hand immediately attains Buddhahood,  
and when one's mouth chants it, 
that mouth is itself the Buddha, 
as for example, 
the moon is reflected in the water 
the moment it appears from behind the eastern mountains, or as a sound and its echo arise simultaneously."

From the Writings of Nichiren Daishonin - WND, p.1099
Wu-lung and I-lung. Written to the lay nun Ueno on November 15th.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

How can we, as Buddhists really make a difference in the world? We have seen the horrible news. There are so many who are suffering all over the world.

We are in the age of Mapo...a time of great challenges and darkness, and we chose to be born now so we can make a difference. We, as microcosms of the universe, can make the changes we need to make by changing ourselves first, by doing shakubuku to enable others to do this as well, and by taking the correct actions to stand up in faith and in the world. 

And, for me, it starts in the conviction 
of the power of the Daimoku 
I am chanting this very moment. 

RIGHT NOW, WITH THIS DAIMOKU, 
I am changing my life, 
and all of life. 

I have become aware of some karmic patterns I am determined to change. 
I have lived these karmic patterns my whole life. 

Today I had a deep resolve and change of heart that RIGHT NOW, WITH THIS DAIMOKU, I am changing these patterns forever. Just like the quote above so mystically says 

"the moon is reflected in the water 
the moment it appears from behind the eastern mountains, or as a sound and its echo arise simultaneously."

As I chanted I summoned up the deep conviction, expressed as the thoughts in my head, that each and every daimoku was changing my karma RIGHT NOW, not at some time in the future.  

"THIS DAIMOKU IS changing this specific karma right this very second."

I wrote down the nature of the karma I was changing. 

I dug deep into the feelings within my gut - these inner rumblings of fear, and doubt and pure emotion -  to change these feelings forever...to be rid of the doubt that my prayer would not work. I did not chant "wishful Daimoku" 
I chanted "Right here right now I am changing my karma FOREVER" Daimoku. 

After the two hours, as I was doing the silent prayers, I prayed to deeply realize that this very morning the Daimoku I chanted is a DONE DEAL. I prayed to have the conviction that I JUST CHANGED my karma, and I will not be swayed by any doubt. 
I believe in my Buddhahood and the Buddhahood of others. I believe in the power of the Nam-myoho-renge-kyo I just chanted. 
I have faith in the power of my prayer 
and the power of my life 
and my Buddhahood. 
I can, and DID, and will continue to change my karma, change the karma of our troubled world, and create a world fo respect for all beings (kosen-rufu) through my own life. 

High Life Condition = Happy Life!

Today's Gosho Quote by Nichiren Daishonin: 

"Kaito said..."I felt it a terrible pity someone such as he, outstanding in every respect, should die so young. Reconsidering the matter, however, I realized that is was because od this boy's death that his mother became a seeker of the way and his father began to practice, praying for his repose. How marvelous, I thought. Moreover, the fact that they have put their trust in the Lotus Sutra, which all people detest, must mean that their deceased son has been at their side and encouraged them to do so." I also believe this to be the case."
WND 1050
The Sons Pure Storehouse and Pure Eye
Recipient unknown, written on July 7, 1280

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Wow! What do you think of that...it felt like that Gosho quote was just meant for me today. I have always been a seeker of the way, but I'm sure that I owe my determination to chant two hours a day to Ben...and my chanting has a profound effect on so many...my fellow members, my friends, my colleagues and the seniors I serve in my job...

When our own life condition is high everyone we meet feels the effect of that positive energy. EVERYONE. 

Every morning three members are showing up to chant some or all of the two hours with me. I feel this daimoku in my life. There is not one complaint in my heart. And when I feel sad, I just allow myself to feel sad, and it passes. I am enjoying life and moving forward. 

Just this week I had a huge benefit. I decided to enroll in a course of training with other professional speakers as mentors. And my company is paying for it. How awesome is that? I've taken a few of the modules already and I know it's just what I need to continue living my dream of being a published author and sought after public speaker...

Now is the time! let's all make our dreams come true! 

Chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo is the source of all the great energy, drive, smarts, good timing....everything. We've got this! 

Who Says We Can Chant for ANYTHING? Sensei!

"In our lives, 
as we chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo 
and dedicate our lives to the mystic law, 
we transform delusion into enlightenment, 
and transform the chains of the suffering 
of birth, aging, sickness and death 
into a state of complete freedom 
imbued with the four noble virtues of 
eternity, 
happiness, 
true self and 
purity. 
There is surely no system of practice more dynamic, 
no philosophy that offers such unsurpassed hope."

Daisaku Ikeda

From the April Living Buddhism, 2015, page 31

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I get emails from people asking me if they can chant for a man (or a goal) that people have told them not to chant for. 

As far as Daisaku Ikeda is concerned, when we chant for what we want, and work for the Mystic law (attend meetings, do shakubuku, study the Gosho) our prayers transform, and our desires and LIVES transform. Chant for what you want! 

I have chanted for things that some people would say I "shouldn't have been chanting for," and it strengthened my practice. I REALLY wanted these things. Over time, my desires transformed, but they were the entry way for chanting. I chanted harder, more focused. I know I strengthened my life and my practice. 

Chanting for what we want IS enlightenment!  

How-To Increase Your Belief in YOUR OWN Buddha Nature!

(You can now subscribe to this blog by putting your email in the box to the right)

From the November 2015 Living Buddhism:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Nevertheless, 
being no more than an ordinary person, 
I have at times been apt to regret 
having taken such a course." 

From the Gosho "On Rebuking Slanders of the Law and Eradicating Sins" by Nichiren Daishonin.

About this passage, Daisaku Ikeda writes on page 37:

'As Nichiren Daishonin writes here, we are ordinary people, and as such, are likely on occasion to have regrets. 

At times, we may allow ourselves to be defeated by our immediate sufferings and complain about our lot, thinking there is no point in practicing this Buddhism if it is going to involve so many challenges and wondering if we might not have had an easier time if we had not started chanting. 

Well aware of this human trait, Nichiren teaches the means by which ordinary people can walk the path to attaining the noble state of Buddhshood. Genuine Buddhism teaches fundamental trust in and respect for the Buddha Nature inherent within all human beings." 

Daisaku Ikeda, from Living Buddhism, November 2015, pages 36 and 37. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Okay, I know we "know" our lives contain dignity and power and the Buddha Nature. I know we read President Ikeda's Guidance, and the Gosho, and we "understand" them with our minds...but do we understand them with our hearts? 

This is the work we do in front of the Gohonzon. When we chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo (meaning: I fuse my life with the mystic law of cause and effect through sound vibration) we tap into the power that is our birthright...that is always there for us...and we access that power for ourselves and for others. 

We can access the power to understand the profundity of our lives, the magnificence of our lives, and our true Buddha nature. 

How much do we each realize that we are the Buddha?

I hear people around me putting themselves down all the time. It seems to be part of our culture that we can't go around saying "I am magnificent. I am the Buddha." and I think we can and should change that part of the culture. Putting ourselves down is not helpful...especially when we are talking to ourselves. 

If we can't build ourselves up, who can? That's why I always say "Do not put yourself down. Ever. Not even in your head. you are a magnificent being...a Buddha of the highest respect. A Soka Gakkai Buddhist." 

President Ikeda has told us over and over that we will be remembered forever as the Soka Gakkai Buddhists. Each one of us is living out a drama of the highest significance. Each one of us is showing actual proof of the power of the mystic law to change our lives, change the lives of others and bring about a peaceful world through the power of our vow, and our chanting. 

And it REALLY HELPS if we REALLY believe this. It helps if we believe in the power of our lives and the power of our prayer. How can we really get to this point, that we believe it WITH OUR LIVES...and with every cell in our beings? Well, the answer is easy. 

We can chant to believe in our own magnificence. We can chant to believe in the power of our prayer. We can chant to dispel doubt forever and deepen our prayer at every moment. 

I have been chanting to uphold and see the dignity of my own life at each moment. I have been chanting to be present in each moment, and to BE WITH each person in front of me each moment. And you know what? When we are alone, WE are that person. WE are the one we need to support and uphold. We are the one we have to honor. 

How can we do this? We can start by talking to ourselves just like we would talk to our own very best friends. We can stop saying we are "idiots" or any other negative word. We can stop slandering our own lives 

We can tell ourselves we're doing great! We can tell ourselves we are beautiful, and we get more beautiful every day...inside and out. We can tell ourselves we make a difference. We can build up our own selves, while we are chanting and while we are going about our daily business. 

And we can make daily causes that prove our magnificence...chanting for wisdom...acting in wisdom and bringing forth our best selves!