3 Keys to Revving your Chanting Engine! (And getting to an hour a day!)

 

Hello Beloved Friends! 

I took this photo from Mulholland Drive in LA when Aaron and I were visiting LA. He's now in Portland doing his ultrasound fellowship. 

My son's not just a doctor, he's a visionary. There is a new version of ultrasound available to doctors and he aims to be one of the first M.D. academicians teaching it to residents!

I'm here in Phoenix doing my EFT Tapping work (mostly through zoom anywhere in the world) with people who have experienced loss and are ready to reclaim their lives better than ever. I teach people to communicate with their nervous systems in a way that opens a path to peace and happiness. This results in less stress and more self-compassion. With my loving support, we pave a new way. 

3 Keys to Revving Your Daimoku Engine 

(and getting to an hour a day or more) :

1. Show yourself some self-compassion. 

It's okay if you are not perfect from the beginning. Do more and more every day to get to a solid hour. Just don't give up! 

Also, when I began this 100-day campaign, I wasn't sure of my exact targets, but I knew the more I chanted, the more clear they would become. 

Each day strive more and more. 

2. Make a pact with your Buddha Buddies! Find someone to challenge a 100-day daimoku campaign with, that's the best way. And if you can't find someone you know, just join along with me! 

3. Become stronger and stronger each day, and when obstacles arise greet them with joy and say "I was expecting you!" and turn poison into medicine! 

My email is: ChantforHappiness@gmail.com

PowerPrayer to Transform Fear Into Power!

Now is our time! 
Now, if we succumb to the fear around us, 
if we are focused on our feelings of helplessness, 
if we give in to our reeling minds, 
we will truly suffer. 

It's so easy. I know it is. I know it is because I am a human Buddha just like you are...and I live in Florida, one of the COVID hotspots, while my son Aaron is in Arizona...the OTHER COVID hotspot! 

But even this virus is no match for the Buddha. 

I challenge all of us Buddhas, 
we who are chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, 
must not give in to despair or fear. 
We must raise our Life Conditions 
Tap into our Buddha Nature ~  
By chanting for our LIFE CONDITIONS to RISE 
so we can be above the fear, 
above the noise, 
above all the NEWS! 
If we feel powerless right now, 
I understand it. 
Last week I had my moment of feeling powerless too. 

While I was chanting today (and yesterday!) 
I wrote a PowerPrayer for You: 

PowerPrayer Transform Fear into Power! 

Life! 
I hear you loud and clear! 
Now is my crucial moment. 
Now is our shared crucial moment! 
I join my voice with all my fellow Buddhas to 
DEMAND I rise above this fear. 

I AM THE BUDDHA. 
I ROAR. 
With every Nam-myoho-renge-kyo 
I change my karma 
I change my family's Karma
I change the karma of this world. 

Gohonzon, LIFE! 
Together we chant to alleviate this and every virus. 
We chant for infection rates to GO DOWN. 
We chant for our protection 
and the protection of all living things. 

My Daimoku is joined with all others right now
Resounding throughout the world.

Nam-myoho-renge-kyo! Roar! 

Life! With every Nam-myoho-renge-kyo
I change fear to power
I change criticism to appreciation
I change cowering to action
I change fear to wisdom

With this renewed awareness of my much I ROCK, and How POWERFUL I am, I know that I am the Buddha. 
I feel my Buddha emerging 
more and more and more every day. 

I am determined that I will____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________!

In love and light and determination!

Jamie 

6 Keys to Stop Suffering and Start Thriving!

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To Find out more about the SGI, please click here: SGI-USA.org

Six Keys to Stop Suffering 

and Start Thriving

By Jamie Lee Silver, Chantforhappiness.com

Key #1
Decide to Chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo for longer times. 
Yes!
Daimoku WORKS. It absolutely does. Nam-myoho-renge-kyo is the law of the universe. And sometimes you just have to pump up the volume, and CHANT MORE! I remember something my mentor in San Francisco told me. She said she chants to be able to chant more. When she sets a goal of, say, two hours, she spend the first few minutes chanting to finish the two hours. Interesting.
And I'll tell you a little secret - the more you chant the more you want to chant. That's just the way it usually works for me....

(As you know, this blog is meant to inspire you by example. It doesn't take the place of our Buddhist study, and isn't an official publication of the SGI. It's just me, a regular person, a Buddha just like you, using her life as an example in the hope of inspiring you.) 

Key #2
Set a Daimoku Goal - How much will you chant a day?

A few weeks ago I began chanting two hours a day. How did I know I had to do that? I felt it. I felt myself spending too much time worrying about the state of the world. I felt myself being too emotional. So I decided "enough is enough!" It's time to take my practice to the next level - again! I'm going to get into the groove that only DAIMOKU can bring! 

Key #3
Break through together! 
Find a daimoku buddy.

So I talked with my friend Nina in Chicago and we decided to break chanting two hours a day together. We text each other when we start chanting, and we talk every few days. We aren't chanting at the exact same time, but we share the goal to chant two hours.

Key #4
Study! It brings everything together! 
I'm studying the Wisdom of the Lotus Sutra volumes 5 and 6 in preparation for FNCC's The Wisdom of the Lotus Sutra conference beginning on November 18th in a few weeks. It's amazing. And I'm also studying the gosho, of course. 

Key #5 
Encourage someone else. 
I'm fostering a fellow Buddhist who wants to break through. I'm committed to her winning. We'll break through together! 

Key #6
Do shakubuku.
I do shakubuku with my life, just as Daisaku Ikeda writes in this month's study. I chant to be the bright shining light and to shine so bright that people are naturally intrigued and want to chant. I have several new friends chanting now. 

And I AM breaking through...

My spirits are better. I've found a doctor who is helping me with my insomnia, I have a broken foot and all the care I need to heal. I've solved some major problems that I've been worried about...and I've stopped worrying altogether. 
I have some other things in the works that are also exciting. 

That's a lot for just a few weeks of chanting two hours a day. What can chanting more daimoku bring you? What do you want? Let's win together! Let's all win together! 

Gongyo is a Grand and Noble Rite, by Daisaku Ikeda

Gongyo is a Grand and Noble Rite: 

"I would like to take the opportunity provided by today’s training session of the youth division to present a succinct and easily comprehensible discussion of the significance of gongyo. Because of the limitations of time I cannot pursue the subject in all its details, so I would like all of you to consider and explore this topic on your own afterwards as well. 

Nichiren Daishonin’s Buddhism teaches that our existence is identical to the universe as a whole, and the universe as a whole is identical to our existence. Each individual human life is a microcosm. 

The practice of gongyo is a grand and noble rite to achieve the vital communication to the microcosm of each person’s existence with the universe, based on the Gohonzon. 

The correspondence of each part of our bodies to parts of the universe is proof that our existence is a microcosm. Our heads are round like the heavens above us are round, and our eyes are like the sun and the moon. We close them and open them, like day and night. Our hair shines like the sparkling stars. Our eyebrows are like the seven stars of the Big Dipper. 
Our breath is the wind, 
and the quiet breathing from our nostrils is like the still air of the valleys and dales. 

There are some 360 joints in the human body
 and they stand for the days of the year. 
The twelve major joints signify the twelve months. 

The warm, front side of our body — our abdomen and stomach — is spring and summer. The cold hard back is fall and winter. 

Our blood vessels and arteries are streams and rivers. 
When we suffer a cerebral hemorrhage, it is as if a dam or dike has burst. 
Our bones are stones, and our skin and muscle are like the earth. 
Our body hair is a forest. 
Buddhist scriptures discuss in detail these correspondences i
ncluding each of the internal organs, 
teaching that our body is indeed a universe in miniature. 

There are clouds in the heavens. The wind blows, the stars twinkle. There are oceans on earth. The rivers flow. Volcanoes erupt. And great quantities of metals and minerals — gold, silver, copper, potassium, calcium — lie in the earth’s depths. 

The activities and qualities of all these materials are also incorporated in our bodies. 

The infinite elementary particles of the cosmos — atoms, protons, photons, electrons, neutrons, and all the rest — microscopic animals such as bacteria, the activities of good and evil, and the laws of gravity, the conservation of mass and energy, and all other laws of the universe also apply in almost the same fashion to the microcosm of our bodies. 

A look at the operation of our bodies suggests that they are great pharmaceutical plants. They have the capability to produce the drugs we need to preserve our health. They take in food and transform it into nourishment and energy. 

The human brain has the capability of a giant computer — even though we may not always be able to use it! 

The sixty trillion cells of our bodies work together 
in their established order in a perfect biorhythm. This is the original order of things. 

The Great Law That Pervades Individual Existence and the Universe 
Our existence is the universe, and its life processes are sublime. A slight change in the heat of the sun will enormously affect not only the Earth but all the other planets. If the Earth’s rotation were to stop for the briefest instant, or if its axis were to tilt the slightest degree, all living things would be threatened with extinction. 

That is how subtle the natural order is. And further, a firm and irrevocable law of the universe exists. This holds true for the microcosm as well. 

It is science that pursues this invisible but truly existent law, and technology is the invention of machines and other devices based on the fruits of scientific research. 

Nichiren Daishonin discovered and awoke to the great law of all existence that underlies all the partial laws governing all spiritual and physical phenomena, and it was he who revealed that law to humanity as Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. This Mystic Law applies equally to the universe as a whole and to each and every individual human existence. The universe and the individual are one in this Mystic Law. 

Under certain circumstances, an invisible law takes form as a visible existence. The individual human existence, for example, emerges out of its state of fusion with the rest of the universe by taking shape in the womb and being born in the world. 

A ship can be regarded as a tangible representation of the law of buoyancy, just as an airplane is a representation of the laws of aerodynamics, a radio or television program a representation of the law of electromagnetic waves. All of these objects give shape to invisible laws. 

The fundamental law of the universe and individual existence is also invisible. The Daishonin inscribed the Gohonzon as a visual representation of that Mystic Law for the people of the world. The Lotus Sutra and other Buddhist scriptures are the instruction manuals for the Gohonzon. 

Josei Toda, my teacher and the second president of the Soka Gakkai, explained the Gohonzon in an easily comprehensible way as "a machine to produce happiness." 

When we practice gongyo and chant daimoku before the Gohonzon, our individual existence is perfectly harmonized with the universe. 

Both the universe and our individual existence are the concrete manifestation of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo as is the Gohonzon. That is why when we practice gongyo and chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo with faith in the Gohonzon, our existence and the universe mesh as perfectly as two gears, and with an initial creak begin to work together. 

The single life-moment (ichinen) of the individual becomes one with the three thousand (sanzen) factors and realms of the universe and begins to produce great value. This is the concrete practice of ichinen sanzen. 

Through that practice we can acquire wisdom and good fortune, 
and glow with the energy to overcome any obstacle throughout the four seasons, 
three hundred sixty-five days a year; 
we can enter the way to the eternal happiness 
and attain eternity, joy, true self and purity (jo raku ga jo). 

Gongyo is a practice 
which calls forth and activates 
the infinite power that the microcosm 
inherently possesses. 
It transforms your fate, 
breaks through any apparent dead end 
and converts sufferings into happiness. 
It creates a transformation, 
a revolution of the microcosm. 
It is a diagram in miniature of kosen-rufu in our lives. 

The kosen-rufu that is our aim is a movement to transform the universe, the Earth and human society into a world of peace, comfort and harmony in accord with the rhythm of the Mystic Law. 

The Practice of Attaining Buddhahood in This Lifetime, Which Leads to Eternal Happiness 
If you let an automobile or any other machine fall into disuse, it will rust and stop working correctly. You have to use it and maintain it regularly and properly. Why, the same thing is even true of the hair on our heads: If we don’t wash it regularly we’ll be encrusted with dandruff! 

Gongyo and chanting daimoku 
are like starting the automobile’s engine every day 
and driving in the direction of happiness and truth. 

By doing so day after day, you will gradually attain perfect unity with the universe and the Law. That state is the state of the Buddha. 

Once that has happened, you will be able to enjoy yourself with complete freedom for all eternity. Your existence will be a diamond that will never perish throughout the three existences. 

To attain Buddhahood in this life, the Daishonin warns us with firm concern that we must never retreat in our practice. 

Even though we may experience a period of sadness 
or depression, 
the principle that earthly desires are enlightenment 
teaches us that great sufferings 
are bound to be transformed 
into equally great joy, progress and value. 
There is nothing to fear, 
since the Gohonzon possesses 
the infinite power of the Law and the Buddha. 

We often say that strong faith, valiant and untiring practice and courageous acts are important. This is an expression of the truth that without a strong will and courageous practice it is impossible to achieve great things. 

You will not be able to communicate in a discussion with another unless you are clear and direct. If you lack the courage of your convictions and mumble vague things, you won’t make any impression on your listener. Nor can you strike a chord in his heart. And of course you will not be able to move or convince him. To do that you need to be very determined and sure.

Isn’t the same thing true of love? 

It’s certainly true in a job interview. Unless you present your thoughts clearly and forcefully, you won’t make any impression on the interviewer. In other words, mental determination and courageous actions can change any situation and they possess a critical capability to produce happiness. 

The Victory Song of Life Is to Be Found in Action 
To fly, a plane needs the extra push it gets by acceleration down a runway. To get good grades in school, you need the extra push of study before a test. 

Whatever you do, to achieve something better, to reach a higher level, you need a push. 

Buddhism teaches practice for oneself and practice for others. If either one is lacking, you cannot practice properly. 

The Gohonzon is the concrete manifestation of the very existence of Nichiren Daishonin, who taught kosen-rufu. Because of that, if you only practice gongyo and chant the daimoku and don’t take any other action for the sake of kosen rufu or improving your own life, the Gohonzon will not have its true, full effect. 

If, however, you take actions to achieve kosen-rufu, they will serve as that extra push for your own life and help you leap to higher and higher states of mind in your gongyo and chanting as well. 

And it is only natural that the energy you acquire through the gongyo practice for yourself will be channeled back into your activities for others, for kosen-rufu. 

The fact is that the practice of gongyo and your actions in service of kosen-rufu will become one, and together they will unlock the infinite power of the Mystic Law in your life. 

In Buddhism, practice is faith. That means action is faith, and without action there can be no true faith. The action I speak of is the way of practice for oneself and for others that is taught in Nichiren Daishonin’s writings. 

Action is the source of blessings and merits. In propagating the teachings, for example, whether the person you are presenting the teachings to arouses faith or not is his problem. The effects of our action of propagating will vary, depending on the person’s capacities and other conditions. 

There is no need at all to rejoice or lament over each effect. You can be proud that you have practiced the truest, most wonderful law of life in the universe to the best of your ability and go forward with your head held high. One who has acted for the sake of kosen-rufu is already a great victor in life. 

The words "the heads of those who cause affliction will be split in seven pieces" are written on the Gohonzon. 

This is a warning that it is wrong to seek to harm this law of your own being. 

Abandoning the teachings or slandering them are self-destructive actions that are bound to split you apart. 

We also find the words "those who make offerings will acquire blessings surpassing the Buddha’s ten names." 
This forceful statement tells us that the merits of one who make offerings to the Gohonzon and spreads the teaching will be far greater than the magnificent merits of the one who makes offerings to Shakyamuni Buddha. This is a promise that our personal microcosm will absorb the nourishment of all the blessings in the macrocosm, the whole universe, and be elevated to a state of existence of the highest happiness itself. 

Thus we know that the children of the Buddha who strive for kosen-rufu are each guaranteed to attain the ultimate degree of happiness. There is no one who will be more blessed. 

Faith in Present and Future 
"For both the present and the future" is also written on the Gohonzon. For present and future. That is what faith is for, what the Buddhist Law is for. 

When we worship the Gohonzon, the eternal life of time without beginning wells up within us. Our faith is that every day, every instant begins from time without beginning. 

We are always setting out, full of hope, from today to the future, from this moment to eternal happiness. We are always young, always beginning. 

My message to you is that you must be absolutely certain of this and live your wonderful lives without regret, with joy and brightness, always moving forward."  

This essay is from the collected speeches of Daisaku Ikeda in "To My Young American Friends" 

Riding on a Pillow of Daimoku!

How much Daimoku Is Enough? And how do we know? 

The amount we chant is entirely up to us, isn't it? No one is ever going to tell us how much we must chant. 

And there are times, that we KNOW we really need to up our level of chanting. I am in one of those times. I have many clear goals. And I've been chanting two or three, and sometimes even more hours of Daimoku a day. 

And as always, the more I chant, the more I want to chant. For me - when I chant a lot the time goes quickly, and I look forward to the next time I can chant. 

And how does it affect my life? I ride on what I call "A Pillow of Daimoku." Everything goes smoothly. I don't have to worry about anything. 

I gave a speech on Friday. 
All week I chanted for the people who were going to be attending. I chanted for each of them to be permanently uplifted by this speech. I chanted for them NEVER to be the same. And it was a great time. They LOVED it! I LOVED it. Each one carried my signature "Growing Bolder - Bad Words to Better Words" flyer home to their families and friends. We laughed. We had fun. 

And last night I dreamed Ben was a young child and we were having fun playing together. I woke up happy, not sad. 

It's getting closer to Ben's Memorial Mile. June 11th, 2016. Join us here in Downers Grove if you can! 

I'm reading the World Tribune about making the most of every moment. It's late and I'll write more tomorrow! 

How to Feel Connected to the Shoten Zenjin All Day Long

I've had several people contact me about the new silent prayers, and the fact that we no longer have a specific silvent prayer to the shoten zenjin (protective forces of the universe within all life) at the beginning of morning gongyo. People have written me asking why, and some are not happy about the change. 

This change doesn't bother me at all and I'll tell you why. As always, I speak for myself, and as an SGI member  ~   I am not an official representative of the organization. I write this blog to encourage people through my own life experiences and insights. 

I don't know the reason that prayer is no longer part of morning gongyo but it doesn't bother me a bit because I address the shoten zenjin when I chant daimoku. I speak to them when I am chanting nam-myoho-renge-kyo. I thank them for their protection and ask that their protection be spread far and wide while I am chanting my daimoku. I always feel connected to them. 

I directly address them as I am chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo: "Thank you shoten zenjin!"...or "Shoten zenjin I need this right now!" or "Shoten zenjin, please send all your forces to this planet right now ~ we need you more than ever! Help people to WAKE UP and realize xenophobia and hatred is not the path toward peace!" When chanting I think "Let me be aware of the protective forces of the universe at all times and in rhythm with them." 

I am aware of their presence throughout the day. The other day I didn't see a car coming towards me, but the other driver was aware and didn't hit my car. I said (out loud probably!) "Thank you Shoten Zenjin!" When I drop a glove and someone calls out "You dropped a glove!" I think "Thank you shoten zenjin!" 
The Shoten zenjin are a part of my daily life, and they are a part of yours as well. All we really have to do is chant abundant daimoku and raise our awareness of them. 

We can be constantly aware that they are with us every moment. That doesn't mean we can be careless and take risks. President Ikeda says we need to be more careful because our lives are so precious!

On another note, I am compiling all of Ben's story - past, present and future. If my blogs about him and the struggles and triumphs we had have touched your life or inspired you - You can be a part of Ben's story. 

Please write me at chantforhappiness@gmail.com

3 Keys to Releasing Emotions

This life is an emotional journey for me. It always has been. I cured myself of depression through chanting, but I still feel emotions. 
The more I practice Buddhism, the more I see that my ability to feel and release my emotions, not run from them, is a gift I can offer the world. And every morning and evening, I face the Gohonzon with all my heart...dedicating my life to proving the power of the mystic law through my life. 

Sometimes it's hard to actually know what emotion I'm feeling. Strong emotions just overwhelm me...and I have to focus to see what they are. Lately, I am in extreme grief after the death of my son this summer, at the age of 22.

Those of you who read this blog know how hard I fought to keep him alive, but, in the end, the mental health system in this country totally failed him, and he took his own life...I say Schizophrenia killed him...because it's the truth. 

So I am left with my mission...and I cannot change the past. How do I continue to show actual proof? How do I continue to encourage people? I think it is by living my absolute best life...by turning poison into medicine in some ways I don't even know right now. 

Key #1
Make a Chanting Determination 
Key #2
Make a Physical Determination
Key #3 
FEEL the emotion! 

For the moment, I'm focusing on making my body strong and healthy, focusing on business success...and building healthy momentum. Every day I do my best to chant two hours a day, and most days I make it...and some days I am just crying and chanting. 

Today I was frantic with grief. I felt I must have failed my son. I'm his mother. I should have been able to protect him. Part of me knows that this is absurd...and that I did everything in my power to help him. Part of me believes I failed him.  
So I took it to the Gohonzon and exercised my spiritual muscle. I sat and chanted, even though it was really, really hard today. I chanted until I saw Ben as the Buddha he is. 
His life and death have meaning. Some has been revealed already. Some we have yet to learn. 

Then I got on the treadmill and got my heart rate up...that always makes me feel better. Later I did EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique) tapping and felt the emotion of anger and loss come pouring out of me. I let myself experience the depth of the emotion...and the anger ran its course and I felt peace. 

The 3 Keys to Releasing Emotions really work! 

I offer this to you on December 1st, when the holidays are happening here in the states, and emotions are magnified...
The best gift we can give others is our own happiness. It's the truth. The best gift I can give my family, my son Aaron, my sister Alison, and my father...is to go through my grief and get to the other side...and ultimately turn poison into medicine. 

5 Essential Points Every Shakubuku Wants to Know - And a PowerPrayer to Introduce Others

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Our lives blossom when we introduce others to this practice. (Shakubuku) When we introduce others we are doing the work of the Buddha. There are many ways to do shakubuku...in this post I focus on planting seeds. Three people had to tell me about Nam-myoho-renge-kyo before I started chanting. I had three seeds. Then I embraced this practice fully when an extremely articulate and passion woman (Kate Randolph) and I spent a day together. We'd been total strangers. After a day with her I began a dedicated practice with the wonderful San Francisco members who raised me as a Buddhist. 

You never know when seeds will sprout. Some of my friends began chanting right after I started. My Mom jumped right in after a year saying "I want what you've got!" and chanted the rest of her life. Many times with me and my two boys. 

So I plant seeds.

We are the Buddha after all. 

As my friend Kate says: 

The Gohonzon cannot get down off the wall 
and tell people about chanting. 
Only we can do it. 
And THIS is one of the main reasons 
we are worthy votaries of the Lotus Sutra. 
When we help others learn to practice 
our lives expand and we change our karma. 

Shakubuku is easy, not hard. 

It all starts with Daimoku. And a sky-high life condition! When we are beaming and happy people want to know our secret. And we want to tell them.

I chant this PowerPrayer to meet the people who are seeking this practice.
I firmly believe that there are Bodhisattvas out who made the vow to return at this time to prove the power of this law, but they haven't found it yet. YOU can be the one who helps them live out their vow.

There are so many people who are seeking the solution to their problems. There are so many who are suffering with no solution. But look at us...we know we can transform any poison into medicine. We are changing our karma right here, right now. I do shakubuku out of compassion for those who are still searching.

Five Things I Tell People About Chanting:

1. You can chant for whatever you want. And if you don't get exactly what you want, you will get something better. You get to KEEP your Desires! And that includes chanting for people you love. You can help others through your chanting. In this practice desires are NOT the cause of your suffering. They are the fuel for your happiness. How refreshing!  (Life is long. Patience is important. Not giving up is KEY.) 

2. You don't have to convert. It's like meditation. Anyone can do it. After chanting for a while, you may want to fully embrace this practice. After seeing the actual proof you will probably want to. But you can test it first and watch your own results. It works. 

3. You don't have to believe it will work. Nam-myoho-renge-kyo is the law of cause and effect. We don't have to understand it. When we turn on the light do we UNDERSTAND why electricity works? Most likely not. But it works. Nam-myoho-renge-kyo is a law. The law of the universe. You can these words and you will see an effect in your life. It will work. 

4. Nam-myoho-renge-kyo means "I fuse my life with the mystic law of cause and effect through sound vibration." It is the name of the rhythm of life itself. If you intone the name of the rhythm of life itself while focusing on your desires you tap into the energy of the universe...your highest potential...to make your dreams come true. Internal change is where it starts. Chanting works because chanting creates an effect on the INSIDE of your life. And because we are connected to our environment our environment HAS to change. It HAS to. And it will. 

5. Chanting has No rules. No paths to memorize. No uncomfortable positions or clothing. All people regardless of race or sexual orientation are welcome. 

If people have time to talk I also discuss the SGI, President Ikeda and the benefits of being part of this incredible organization. 

As many of you know, I looked for this practice for the first half of my life. I knew it HAD to exist. I kept finding practices that said my desires were the cause of my suffering.... Somehow I KNEW that my desires weren't bad...that they were a part of me, a lovely, beautiful part of me. So I kept searching until I found this practice. I know others are out there...just like I was...searching. That's why I write this blog! And I have been so grateful for the last 30 years to be able to chant and sing the story ~ CREATE the story of my life.

So everywhere I go I bring cards. I made them myself, and you can usually buy them at the SGI Centers. I have the words Nam-myoho-renge-kyo and the phonetic pronunciation. They also say: Chant these words and become happier than you ever imagined, and the contact info for the Chicago Center are on them. If appropriate I invite them to a meeting.

I hand people a card, even if I've just met them for a moment at a store, or in line somewhere. 

After I thank them for helping me,  I say "I have something special for you. I just have to let you know about this- Have you ever heard of chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo? When you chant these words and think about what you want you become happier than you ever imagined."

Everyone says Thank You!
Almost NEVER does anyone respond negatively. 
And with each person I am planting a seed. It might not sprout now, but it might sprout when the NEXT person tells them, or when a family member starts chanting.  At any rate it a great cause for YOUR life too!

PowerPrayer for Shakubuku 

(to introduce others to this practice) 
By Jamie Lee Silver from Chantforhappiness.com

When you are experiencing benefits and your life is glowing like the sun, you will naturally want to share your secret with other people. 

Simply put, Shakubuku means sharing Nichiren Buddhism with others. From the Japanese, it means “to clear away illusions that prevent one from recognizing the ultimate truth or reality.” This truth is that we are all Buddhas. Every time you share Nichiren Buddhism with others you are doing the work of the Buddha, in helping others to attain happiness by realizing that they are Buddhas, too. Each time, you bring people one important step closer to knowing who they are and their absolute happiness. Please do not cut and paster this PowerPrayer. If you want to share please use the buttons at the bottom of this post. 

Life!

I chant for kosen-rufu Now! 
I deeply desire a world of respect for all of life. 
Let me meet the people who want to practice right now!

Give me the courage to tell them 
about Nam-myoho-renge-kyo

and the heart and wisdom to touch their lives.
Increase my level to really CARE about others, and to be articulate in sharing this practice. 

Give me the confidence and 
let my life SHINE with BENEFITS and ACTUAL PROOF 
so that people want to know my secret! 
Let my life SHINE! 

Do you have any shakubuku tips for the readers of this blog? Email me at chantforhappiness@gmail.com. Also send your experiences with a picture and a bio so you can share your inspiring practice on the blog! 

3 Daimoku Keys for Incredibly Inspiring Meetings!

Just like this sunflower...

We Shine! 

The speech I gave on Thursday was incredible...and my daimoku powered it all. I spoke to 260 of my peers ~ people who are in the field of helping seniors. It was a great success. 
(As always, I am a 30 year SGI member, and I write these posts from my heart to yours. They are not official SGI posts.) You can now get these posts delivered to your email by putting your email in the box to the right

In preparation for this speech I chanted the same way I do for every SGI meeting, using my 3 Keys below: 

3 Daimoku KEYS 
for Incredibly Inspiring Meetings:
by Jamie Lee Silver at Chantforhappiness.com 

1. Chant for every single person to be so inspired by this meeting that their life will never be the same. 

2. Chant that somehow...THIS meeting ~ each person hears exactly what they need to hear to change their lives forever, inspire them beyond all measure, and help them to live lives of victory inspiring others. 

3. Chant in Great Joy! 
In The Heart of the Lotus Sutra, by Daisaku Ikeda, (page 195) he states: "President Toda went so far as to say that unless great joy wells forth while praying to the Gohonzon then one's faith is not correct. When we experience such joy, a great flower of benefit blossoms in our lives." He goes on to tell us how to build our own joyful spirit: "Faith is taking spirited action. When we do so earnestly, our hearts become light and filled with momentum. Pessimism is alien to Buddhism. Taking action on the side of justice brings joy. Let us cheerfully, joyfully and brightly advance along the path of our conviction."

Yes. I chanted with these 3 keys in mind during the weeks leading up to the speech. Afterwards, people said it felt like we were all sitting in a living room together. Many participated by sharing their thoughts. It was like a lively Buddhist discussion meeting, For the rest of the day, many thanked me for my words, with glowing and happy faces.

In the speech itself, I spoke about the research that proves that life gets better as we get older. The brain actually improves. We can collectively switch our focus to all that is going RIGHT as we get older, and away from what could go wrong. We get what we focus on.
The latest research proves, scientifically, that our mindset/our focus can add 7.5 years of satisfaction to our lives. 
I told stories about the studies of Ellen Langer, Becca Levy and others who have proven that "positive age stereotyping" makes a difference. People who do not buy into the current "mysery myth" of aging, and instead choose to see aging as a time of flowering, of new hope, of advancing, are more likely to take better care of themselves, eat better, move their bodies, join clubs, live in healthy, satisfying ways. What we think, and how we express ourselves makes a huge difference!  

I presented Buddhism in non-Buddhist terms. Our positive causes create positive reactions. We can go into our later years with strength, vigor, excitement and continue to live dynamic and fulfilling lives. Growing older happens, declining is optional. 

And I talk about the importance of consciously choosing our words. Our words express our thoughts and become our reality. We have choices. We can either be "overwhelmed" ~ or ~ "In demand" it is up to us. By saying we are overwhelmed, we become a victim of our circumstances. By saying we are in demand, we are important, and we get to choose where we give the gift of our time and energy. It's up to us. Our words don't just describe our lives, they predict our lives. We choose our lives when we choose our words.  
For an entire hour, I held that room in the palm of my hand. They participated; they joined me and contributed their ideas. At the end, they cheered! Magnificent! 

We can all have this impact in our lives, in our environment, in every place we go. 

I am more inspired than ever to use my words to uplift and en-courage! Just like all of us can do...every single day! 

PowerPrayer for Youth on March 16th!

A note to begin: 
As some of you know, I can now send out an email to notify you when I post.  I am so happy I can do this for you! If you didn't get an email, you can put your email in the box to the right and receive my blogs. Feel free to share chantforhappiness.com with anyone you feel would be inspired by these words, and let them know they can subscribe at chantforhappiness.com too. As always, I speak from my heart, as an enthusiastic SGI member, but not officially on behalf of the SGI.  For more about the SGI, please click on the link to the right. 

Happy March 16th! 

On this day, we commemorate the historic gathering in 1958 when 6,000 youth rose at a moment's notice to gather at Josei Toda's request. It was a profound moment for Josei Toda, for the youth, and for the future of kosen-rufu. The actions on this day reverberate forever as we chant for the youth meetings being held world-wide. 

At this gathering in 1958, Josei Toda passed the baton of kosen-rufu - world peace, a world of respect for all life ~ 
onto the youth. Toda, our second SGI President, was in his last few victorious days. He died two weeks later, on April 2nd. 

All week I have been chanting for the success of these meetings, and for the happiness, and victories of all youth everywhere. I share with you this PowerPrayer for Youth. Let this fuel your Power-FULL Daimoku! No matter what we are personally challenging, chanting for the youth, for kosen-rufu, and for others can lift us out of our own despair into the world of Buddhahood!

PowerPrayer for YOUTH
by Jamie Lee Silver, from Chantforhappiness.com

Life!
I tap into my immeasurable power with this strong Daimoku!
Every Nam-myoho-renge-kyo I chant is aimed straight for the heart of the youth in this world!
I picture youth chanting
I picture youth singing
I picture youth smiling radiantly and seeing their actions change the world
I chant for every hopeless youth to have HOPE
~ I chant for them all to connect 
with this incredible law of life ~
       create happy families, 
            and challenge themselves 
            to create a happy world of respect for all 
            (kosen-rufu!)
                  while introducing their friends to chanting. 
Their Daimoku is MY Daimoku. 
Every moment of my prayer, 
I dedicate to these new, shining, spiritual ones.

May they each experience the joy of practice! 
May they each ignite and join hearts with 
our mentor Daisaku Ikeda!
May they each transform their lives
into lives of happy purpose, 
May they transform their families, their schools, their communities and the world!
My prayer is their prayer
Nam-myoho-renge-kyo!

From Jamie Lee Silver at Chantforhappiness.com Subsriptions now available! 

3 Ways to Make This Your Best Valentine's Day Ever!

Valentine's Day is February 14th in America. Many people have a love/hate relationship with this holiday because it's traditionally when you receive a token of love from someone who loves you...
But what if you're not in a relationship? Or, worse yet, what if you have a significant other who doesn't "believe" in Valentine's day, calls it a "Hallmark Holiday" and refuses to participate. There are many ways to be disappointed or sad when Valentine's Day comes along. 

Not for me. Not anymore! 

Several years ago I embarked on the greatest love of all...cultivating my love for myself from within my own life.

I truly believe as Louise Hay states, that loving ourselves is the greatest journey we can take, and all love that surrounds us stems from love of ourselves. 

So now, when Valentine's Day comes around I follow my own traditions: 

3 Ways 

to Have a 

Fabulous Valentine's Day!

1. Spread the love! 
Make Valentine's Day about SHOWING your love...not about waiting for someone to give it to you. I've already spent a few hours writing and addressing cards to those I love..girlfriends...family members...even new business friends. Every day this week I've given gifts and surprises to people...bringing them joy, and ME joy! If you don't have a lot of friends, this is the perfect time to reach out to new potential friends. Be bold! 

2. Reach Out!
Call some friends you haven't talked to in a while. I set a dinner date with a dear friend, and I've called some friends I haven't spoken to recently. 

3. Love YourSelf!
Show YourSelf some love! You are special! Express your love to yourself. Recently I bought myself a token to commemorate the day that Ben was accepted into his new community. Every time I look at it I feel new appreciation for the fortune within my own life. 
And this week I plan on buying myself some flowers, and continuing to express my love to myself and others. I started walking regularly, as I mentioned, and it feels great! I'll treat myself to yoga. 
On Valentine's Day I have a new friend coming over to chant, and I'll think up some surprises for other friends. 

Make it fun. Valentine's Day is about love. It's up to all of us to bring love, to feel love, to build love. 
I'm sending love to YOU right now ~*