Chanting for Kate Randolph, and 12 Buddhist Quotes on Overcoming Illness

Kate Randolph introduced me to chanting 32 years ago, and has been my dear friend ever since. Many of you know her from the experiences I've posted, and the guidance from her I've passed along. 

Well, last weekend we were at FNCC together and she was having some symptoms that were troubling. When she returned to LA she found out she has a mass in her brain, and is having surgery tomorrow at 4:00 pm Pacific Standard time to remove it.  She's at Kaiser in Los Angeles. 

Kate has always felt a connection to you throughout the years. Occasionally she has helped me answer your emails. She is incredibly sincere. Next year is her 40th anniversary of chanting. 

Please join me in chanting for Kate tomorrow and throughout the week. I'm chanting for her total and complete protection...for all the protective forces of the universe to surround her...for the surgeon to be having a really great day and for complete success in removing the mass. 
Read on for 12 quotes on overcoming illness: 

12 Buddhists Quotes for Overcoming Illness

From President Ikeda's Lecture series "The Hope-filled Teachings of Nichiren Daishonin: On Prolonging One's Life Span - Faith for Leading a Long and healthy Life" in the July-August 08 Living Buddhism. (Thank you to my friend Melissa Bradford for compiling these great quotes!)

1. “Suffering from illness is a means by which you can eradicate your negative karma.”  
President Toda, as quoted by President Ikeda. - pg 70 

2. “To see illness as an opportunity to transform our karma – this strong spirit and resolve can break through all obstacles and devilish functions and open wide the path to happiness.  Like a rocket blasting out of the earth’s atmosphere, the passionate conviction of faith that comes from viewing illness as an opportunity to transform our karma can become a powerful engine propelling us forward not only in this existence but throughout eternity, enabling us to freely savor everlasting happiness.”  Pg 74

3. “Becoming ill in itself is certainly not a sign of defeat.  Even the Buddha, who is said to have ‘few ills and few worries’ (LS, 214), struggles with sickness from time to time.  Accordingly, there will be times when we are confronted with illness.  The important point above all is not to be defeated mentally or emotionally by the prospect of being ill.  Faith is the source of the fighting spirit to stand up to illness.  Therefore, as we noted earlier, Nichiren Daishonin first of all talks about the ‘treasure of faith’.  Pg 77

4. “As Nichiren says, ‘Illness gives rise to the resolve to attain the way’ (The Good Medicine for All Ills, WND-1, 937).  If a practitioner who upholds faith in the Mystic Law becomes ill, it definitely has some profound meaning.  It could be said that confronting illness is one route to awakening to the eternity of life.  President Toda often said, ‘A person who has overcome a major illness knows how to deeply savor life.’” Pg78

5. From Matilda Buck’s guidance, World Tribune 4/27/01 pg 10 “When We Face Disappointment” – regarding SGI leaders who overcame cancer and chanted this way:  

Through this experience, I will become someone who does not doubt the Gohonzon (my life), no matter what happens.
As a Bodhisattva of the Earth, I have the mission to experience this, and as a Bodhisattva of the Earth, I have the mission to create a victory.
I will share the power of Buddhism with others, even as I grapple with this experience.
I won’t let my spirits stay down.  I won’t make a place in my life for negativity to settle.

6.From The Wisdom of the Lotus Sutra Volume 6:  “Praying with doubt is like trying to keep water in a bathtub with the plug pulled.  Our good fortune and benefit will drain away.  A passage from the ‘Perceiver of the World’s Sounds’ chapter reads, ‘from thought to thought never entertaining doubt!’  A confident prayer will reverberate powerfully throughout the entire universe.”  Pg 88

From Buddhism Day by Day:

7. “Buddhism views illness as an opportunity to attain a higher, nobler state of life.  It teaches that, instead of agonizing over a serious disease, or despairing of ever overcoming it, we should use illness as a means to build a strong, compassionate self, which in turn will make it possible for us to be truly victorious.”  pg 300

8. “The expansive world lies not in some distant place; it exists right where you are.  That is why you need to win where you are right now.  Today’s victory is linked to your eternal victory.”  Page 314

9, “No matter what the circumstances, you should never concede defeat.  Never conclude that you’ve reached a dead end, that everything is finished.  You possess a glorious future.  And precisely because of that, you must persevere and study.  Life is eternal.  We need to focus on the two existences of the present and the future and not get caught up in the past.  We must always have the spirit to begin anew ‘from this moment,’ to initiate a new struggle each day.” Pg 315

10. “The air around us is filled with radio waves of various frequencies.  While these are invisible, a television set can collect them and turn them into visible images.  The practice of chanting Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo aligns the rhythm of our own lives with the world of Buddhahood in the universe.  It ‘tunes’ our lives, so to speak, so that we can manifest the power of Buddhahood in our very beings.”  Pg 314



11. From "For Today and Tomorrow" Daily Encouragement by Daisaku Ikeda: Sept 20 pg. 288:  
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.

12. From "For Today and Tomorrow" Aug 15 pg. 249:  
The first thing is to pray.  From the moment we begin to pray, things start moving.  The darker the night, the closer the dawn.  From the moment we chant daimoku with a deep and powerful resolve, the sun begins to rise in our hearts.  Hope – prayer is the sun of hope.  To chant daimoku each time we face a problem, overcoming it and elevating our life-condition as a result – this is the path of “changing earthly desires into enlightenment,” taught in Nichiren Daishonin’s Buddhism.

Chanting for Kate Randolph, and 12 Buddhist Quotes on Overcoming Illness

Kate Randolph introduced me to chanting 32 years ago, and has been my dear friend ever since. Many of you know her from the experiences I've posted, and the guidance from her I've passed along. 

Well, last weekend we were at FNCC together and she was having some symptoms that were troubling. When she returned to LA she found out she has a mass in her brain, and is having surgery tomorrow at 4:00 pm Pacific Standard time to remove it.  She's at Kaiser in Los Angeles. 

Kate has always felt a connection to you throughout the years. Occasionally she has helped me answer your emails. She is incredibly sincere. Next year is her 40th anniversary of chanting. 

Please join me in chanting for Kate tomorrow and throughout the week. I'm chanting for her total and complete protection...for all the protective forces of the universe to surround her...for the surgeon to be having a really great day and for complete success in removing the mass. 
Read on for 12 quotes on overcoming illness: 

12 Buddhists Quotes for Overcoming Illness

From President Ikeda's Lecture series "The Hope-filled Teachings of Nichiren Daishonin: On Prolonging One's Life Span - Faith for Leading a Long and healthy Life" in the July-August 08 Living Buddhism. (Thank you to my friend Melissa Bradford for compiling these great quotes!)

1. “Suffering from illness is a means by which you can eradicate your negative karma.”  
President Toda, as quoted by President Ikeda. - pg 70 

2. “To see illness as an opportunity to transform our karma – this strong spirit and resolve can break through all obstacles and devilish functions and open wide the path to happiness.  Like a rocket blasting out of the earth’s atmosphere, the passionate conviction of faith that comes from viewing illness as an opportunity to transform our karma can become a powerful engine propelling us forward not only in this existence but throughout eternity, enabling us to freely savor everlasting happiness.”  Pg 74

3. “Becoming ill in itself is certainly not a sign of defeat.  Even the Buddha, who is said to have ‘few ills and few worries’ (LS, 214), struggles with sickness from time to time.  Accordingly, there will be times when we are confronted with illness.  The important point above all is not to be defeated mentally or emotionally by the prospect of being ill.  Faith is the source of the fighting spirit to stand up to illness.  Therefore, as we noted earlier, Nichiren Daishonin first of all talks about the ‘treasure of faith’.  Pg 77

4. “As Nichiren says, ‘Illness gives rise to the resolve to attain the way’ (The Good Medicine for All Ills, WND-1, 937).  If a practitioner who upholds faith in the Mystic Law becomes ill, it definitely has some profound meaning.  It could be said that confronting illness is one route to awakening to the eternity of life.  President Toda often said, ‘A person who has overcome a major illness knows how to deeply savor life.’” Pg78

5. From Matilda Buck’s guidance, World Tribune 4/27/01 pg 10 “When We Face Disappointment” – regarding SGI leaders who overcame cancer and chanted this way:  

Through this experience, I will become someone who does not doubt the Gohonzon (my life), no matter what happens.
As a Bodhisattva of the Earth, I have the mission to experience this, and as a Bodhisattva of the Earth, I have the mission to create a victory.
I will share the power of Buddhism with others, even as I grapple with this experience.
I won’t let my spirits stay down.  I won’t make a place in my life for negativity to settle.

6.From The Wisdom of the Lotus Sutra Volume 6:  “Praying with doubt is like trying to keep water in a bathtub with the plug pulled.  Our good fortune and benefit will drain away.  A passage from the ‘Perceiver of the World’s Sounds’ chapter reads, ‘from thought to thought never entertaining doubt!’  A confident prayer will reverberate powerfully throughout the entire universe.”  Pg 88

From Buddhism Day by Day:

7. “Buddhism views illness as an opportunity to attain a higher, nobler state of life.  It teaches that, instead of agonizing over a serious disease, or despairing of ever overcoming it, we should use illness as a means to build a strong, compassionate self, which in turn will make it possible for us to be truly victorious.”  pg 300

8. “The expansive world lies not in some distant place; it exists right where you are.  That is why you need to win where you are right now.  Today’s victory is linked to your eternal victory.”  Page 314

9, “No matter what the circumstances, you should never concede defeat.  Never conclude that you’ve reached a dead end, that everything is finished.  You possess a glorious future.  And precisely because of that, you must persevere and study.  Life is eternal.  We need to focus on the two existences of the present and the future and not get caught up in the past.  We must always have the spirit to begin anew ‘from this moment,’ to initiate a new struggle each day.” Pg 315

10. “The air around us is filled with radio waves of various frequencies.  While these are invisible, a television set can collect them and turn them into visible images.  The practice of chanting Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo aligns the rhythm of our own lives with the world of Buddhahood in the universe.  It ‘tunes’ our lives, so to speak, so that we can manifest the power of Buddhahood in our very beings.”  Pg 314



11. From "For Today and Tomorrow" Daily Encouragement by Daisaku Ikeda: Sept 20 pg. 288:  
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.

12. From "For Today and Tomorrow" Aug 15 pg. 249:  
The first thing is to pray.  From the moment we begin to pray, things start moving.  The darker the night, the closer the dawn.  From the moment we chant daimoku with a deep and powerful resolve, the sun begins to rise in our hearts.  Hope – prayer is the sun of hope.  To chant daimoku each time we face a problem, overcoming it and elevating our life-condition as a result – this is the path of “changing earthly desires into enlightenment,” taught in Nichiren Daishonin’s Buddhism.

This Thanksgiving ~ Being our EnLIGHTened Selves!

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

Happy Thanksgiving my dear friends. Wherever you are, in the states, in the UK, India, everywhere - I send you my deepest gratitude and thanks.  We are sharing this wonderful journey of faith together. Eternally, along with our mentor in faith, Daisaku Ikeda. 

Kate and I were just at FNCC. 

Here are some things we learned:

"Earthly Desires are EnLIGHTENment"

Every day during gongyo, 
we take our earthly desires...
desires for ourselves...
for others...
for the planet, 
go to the Gohonzon 
(the scroll that is the reflection of our highest life selves) and BURN those desires creating the LIGHT of Wisdom. 
We burn those desires. 
We chant for our own security and happiness, 
and for the happiness of others. 
We chant for our countries, 
and for a world that shows respect for all of life. 
And we light the flame of wisdom. 
Wisdom brings us to the best action. 
We move forward with conviction, courage and faith. 
Every day. 

May you light this light for yourself and those you love, 
and have it burn brighter than ever today and every day!

I am more encouraged than ever to do this, and to deepen my understanding of the ONENESS of Mentor and Disciple. What does this truly mean? At times I have felt I knew. I read President Ikeda's words, I chant to feel his heart and to see through his eyes...and I know I can deepen my experience of this through my prayer. 

Those are just two of the diamonds I received. 

Happy Thanksgiving. 
I'm off to celebrate the holiday - so grateful for you! 

4 Ways to Summon the Heart of the Lion King

Greeting my friends! 
As always, this blog does not represent the SGI officially. I write it to use my life as an example that this practice of chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo works. Long time readers know I've been practicing for 32 years, most of that time as a District leader. I raised my two sons as Buddhists. Aaron is in Phoenix in his first year of residency as a med-peds doctor (He can help all ages) and my son Ben died in the summer of 2015 when he was 22. 
I am dedicating the rest of my life to turning poison into medicine and creating value from his life...and death. Just this week the non-profit organization called HOPE FOR THE DAY sent my book to the publisher. It's called "OUR FOREVER BEN, One Mom's Letters to her son-in-spirit, and his poetic replies. In a few weeks, I fly to Chicago for book signings, and the book will be available on Amazon. 

Today I'd like to share a passage from the New Human Revolution by Daisaku Ikeda:

'Lion' in "lion king" is written with the Chinese characters for teacher and child, representing mentor and disciple. In other words, when disciples align their spirit with their mentor and stand up with the  same commitment, they can summon forth the bold and fearless heart of the lion king within them. 

"Each day I tell myself: "As a disciple of President Toda I will respond to his aspirations! I will create a record of kosen-rufu that would make him proud!" By doing so, no matter what difficulty I may encounter, I can bring forth the courage to never be disheartened. 

"Those who always remember their mentor's spirit in their heart, who always are living together with their mentor, will never stray from the correct path in life, the path to happiness. When we live with our mentor in our heart we cannot allow ourselves to be cowardly or lazy; we are spurred to be courageous, challenge ourselves and cast aside our arrogance. We may be able to deceive others, but not the mentor in our hearts. 

...It is important, therefore, that when we are facing a challenging situation, we always think deeply about what our mentor would have done or said."

From the New Human Revolution, By Daisaku Ikeda, Volume 26, Chapter 4, installments 51-67, as written in the April 2015 Living Buddhism, page 39.

Today I'm driving to the Florida Nature Culture Center for the Wisdom of the Lotus Sutra conference. I'm looking forward to spending time in the exhibit hall dedicated to President Ikeda. I could have spent all day there on my last visit. Kate Randolph is coming from LA to join me at the conference. 

As I am here, in my new chosen home of Florida I continually ask myself "What would President Ikeda do?"

I chant to see the world through Daisaku Ikeda's eyes, and to feel with his heart....and most of all...to chant with his same strength...to somehow reach into the lives of all beings suffering anywhere ...anywhere...and have my daimoku touch the entire fabric of life. I don't know if that is what Sensei has in mind when he chants, but one day, if I ever have the chance to sit and chat with him, that is what I would ask him. "When you chant, what do you think about? How do you encompass the whole world in your prayers? And how can I do the same?" In the meantime, I chant to align my prayer with his. 


Here are 3 Ways to Summon the Heart of the Lion King: 
By Jamie Lee Silver from Chantforhappiness.com

1. Practice consistently  - every morning and evening. I know, I know, I say this all the time, and there's a reason for it. When you're chanting consistently, your life condition is higher and more resilient. You'll still have problems, because life is full of hardships, but you'll greet them with an invigorated heart! 
Please don't believe me when I say this - if you aren't already doing this, try it. Do the 100 day Gongyo Challenge with us! Start anytime. Readers of this blog are challenging themselves to do the most perfect gongyo possible every day, twice a day for 100 days. Join us! (Of course the goal is then to continue for the rest of their lives, but it's nice to start somewhere~)

2. Study Daisaku Ikeda's writings and the Gosho every day...even a single line. Early in my practice I engraved the phrase "Suffer what there is to suffer and enjoy what there is to enjoy" into my life. 

3. As you are chanting express your determination. Tell your life what you want. Do not beg! Draw the power of your own life through your prayer. I picture all the power of the universe behind me...coming through my back, into my hands, into the Gohonzon, and channelled to fulfill my prayers, for myself and for others...my family...my friends...my fellow members...my colleagues...and YOU! 
Chant in appreciation. Dedicate your life to Kosen-rufu! 

4. Be part of our incredible Soka Gakkai organization. There are such riches there...so many friendships...such inspiration and strong determination. Whenever you go to a meeting you get encouragement and encourage others by sharing your own struggles and victories. We are all building the heart of the lion king together! Go to SGI-USA.org 

Lighting the Lamp of Hope - Nam-myoho-renge-kyo!

Good morning. It is a new day. As I always mention, this blog is not sponsored by the SGI, although I love and appreciate being a part of our great organization. 

Today I got the words that follow from a reader, Grace Hanson. These words get to the heart of Human Revolution. We change the world to the extent that we win over our weaknesses, battle our fundamental darkness, and continue being a beacon of hope by advancing forward chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo every single day. 

From Grace: 

I woke up Wednesday with a strange sense of determination rather than shock, which drove me to text several of my female friends at 5am the words:  “We have work to do”.  Coincidentally, those words were at the end of Hillary’s concession speech – no coincidence.  The reality of this election is that it only revealed to us the nature of the discourse in this country and the degree to which that discourse is concealed, ignored, or accepted.  There was nothing new here.  For myself, “I have work to do” – means I need to break through my own glass ceilings and walls, and demonstrate that progress is perpetuated and achieved on an individual level.  Hillary’s victory would have been symbolic but it would not have changed my individual charge.   Individual advancement is the only true solution for permanent and sustaining change.  I take this election as a challenge and I hope you do too.   I perform better when I am challenged to the utmost. 

Let’s make the next four years historic for our impact on the world.

Grace

4 Surprising Reasons Nichiren Buddhists Are So Happy ! Please share

Why are Nichiren 
(also known as SGI, Soka Gakkai or Practical) 
Buddhists so Happy? 

What is so special 

about this twice-daily practice 

of chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo?

What is a Nichiren Buddhist? Why are we also called "Practical Buddhists?" The two titles are interchangeable. 
Practical Buddhists chant every morning and evening and EVERY MORNING and evening. We study the works of Nichiren Daishonin, and the writings of Daisaku Ikeda, to learn the workings of the practice, and how and why chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo  (meaning: I fuse my life with the Mystic Law of Cause and Effect Through Sound Vibration) draws forth the power innate in every life to find fulfillment and become happy. The more we study, the more we deepen our ability to tap this power. We encourage each other and attend Soka Gakkai meetings.  (To find a meeting near you click on the link to the right) We introduce others to the practice because we are delighted with the results we see in our own lives from chanting. 

4 Surprising Reasons 
Nichiren Buddhists are so HAPPY ~

1. Our Happiness is not based on our happiness alone. It is based on the profound results we see in our own lives - and in the lives of others as we chant. We base our practice on RESULTS! We GET what we chant for, or something better, as long as we don't give up! 

Our happiness has a higher purpose. Don't get me wrong...happiness for any reason is great. Happiness is the purpose of our practice, and we join our own happiness with the happiness of ALL. We call this kosen-rufu...a world of respect for all of life. We chant to be happy so that we can prove through our own lives the validity of chanting the name of the Mystic Law - and to prove everyone can generate happiness if they chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. 

With every problem we face we chant: 

"I will defeat THIS problem for the sake of Kosen-rufu 
(the happiness of ALL) 
And one by one I will knock all my problems down. 
I achieve all my goals. 
I will succeed is all areas of my life to prove the power of the law! 
I vow to win in all areas of my life!"

2. We KNOW we have the POWER, and the TOOL to overcome our own negativity ~ and raise our "Life Condition" and become happy! To us, Happiness means winning over ourselves. 

It's true. When we chant the name of the rhythm of life itself ~ Nam-myoho-renge-kyo ~ we see results. And what will we WIN over? Ourselves. We are fighting and winning the biggest and most worthy battle of all...the battle over our own negativity. And the thing is, no one can do that but US. We are the only ones. And our negativity never entirely goes away, but our daily practice keeps it away, and is the source of our happiness. We talk about the "evil twin - or critical mind" we hear in our minds telling us we can't do it, that we aren't strong enough and asking us "who do you think you are?" When we chant consistently that voice recedes, and our true and powerful Buddha nature emerges.  And we DO succeed!

3. We KNOW we can change our karma and make the impossible possible. And we do it together with our fellow SGI Members. 

Whether we have studied eastern religions or not, we are all familiar with karma no matter what name we call it. Cause and Effect ~ Karma. Karma is passed down from one generation to another. Karma is reoccurring problems...you know, the way in which people marry one person, move on to the next and have the exact same problems crop up. 
Nichiren Buddhists know Karma is nothing to be afraid of. Karma is the sum total of every cause we have ever made through every existence we have ever had. And since, according to Nichiren Daishonin, those existences number more than grains of sand in the ocean, what need is there to fret about karma? And we do not need to spend countless lifetimes trying to undo every negative thing we have ever done. How could we? We don't even know what these things were. 
What we can do, is make the absolute most positive causes NOW. When we chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo we are making the most positive cause for our lives. When we introduce others, these causes are magnified across many existences because we have introduced them to the power to change their own and their family's karma. 
And chanting with and for our fellow members is a huge part of our practice. We join our "family" for meetings and individually to surmount challenges. If you have not yet found your SGI family you can use the SGI-USA.org link to the right or search on Soka Gakkai International. 

4. We are aware of the interconnectivity of life and know that when we change our inner life, our outer life changes as well. We are Power-FULL not Power-LESS and we can chant for others as well! 

There's a Buddhist term called "Esho Funi". It means that we see and experience ourselves as separate from our environment (our environment is everything outside of our skin - the air we breathe, the couch we are sitting on, the music we hear, and each person, thing, animal in our environment and throughout the entire universe). But we are intricately connected to everything. That is why we can chant and change our lives. We change our inner lives, and because of the interconnectivity of life (also called "dependent origination") we are able to influence our environment. This is the fulcrum of true happiness and true power in our lives. 

By Daisaku Ikeda from Ikedaquotes.org: 

Faith in Buddhism is not blind faith that rejects reason. It is in fact a rational function, a process of the cultivation of wisdom that begins with a spirit of reverent searching. The impulse of true reason is to continuously and eternally transcend the confines of the present self. It aims to reach beyond its grasp, always higher, always transcending itself. The source of energy and foundation for that constant search is faith in something larger than oneself. Faith purifies reason, strengthens it, and elevates it.