Showing posts with label jamie lee silver. Show all posts
Showing posts with label jamie lee silver. Show all posts

Friday, May 8, 2020

PowerPrayer for Actual Proof Now!


From Daisaku Ikeda: 

"Though we may seem to be chanting alone, 
we are not. 
As we chant, 
untold billions of heavenly deities 
are facing the Gohonzon with us. 
In this way, 
the protective forces of the universe assemble en masse (altogether)
and work to safeguard each one of you, 
manifesting in your environment 
and the actions of the people near you, 
the actions of your friends and fellow members." 

~Daisaku Ikeda
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This is the quote I was referring to at our last meeting. I LOVE this quote! 

PowerPrayer to SEE ACTUAL PROOF! 
While in front of the Gohonzon tell your life as you chant: 

LIFE show me this practice works. 
BUDDHAS get busy! I demand results now! 
Every nam-myoho-renge-kyo I chant makes a difference. 
With this Nam-myoho-renge-kyo I am CHANGING my life now! WIth This Daimoku
With this Daimoku I am changing my karma. 
Now! Let me see results in _____________________
And reach this goal____________________________
and feel this way_____________________________
Gohonzon, blow me away with actual proof so that all around me will wan to know how I did it. 
And I can tell them Nam-myoho-renge-kyo 
and invite them to a meeting!
Let me encounter the people who are searching for this practice, searching for happiness now! 

__________________________________________________


I am grateful to you my friends. Grateful for every single one of you. You touch my heart. You inspire me. And we are getting to know one another in person at our meetings. 
Every morning when I face the Gohonzon and chant, my first prayer is for the untold billions of deities within my life, body, and spirit to wake up and greet the untold billion deities on the Gohonzon.

And I chant for all who are seeking peace to find this blog, find this practice, and, if we are meant to work together, to find me through my website TapforHappiness.com. All for Kosen Rufu! I chant to have victory in my business and have my life inspire people that they can end their suffering and experience true joy. 

Just like any true professional in the SGI, I strive to make President Ikeda proud of me as his successor, by my professionalism, passion, and results.  

And knowing that untold billions of heavenly deities are with me as I chant my two hours every day. Well, it just boosts my spirit, my daimoku, my hope, and determination. I am the Buddha. And so are you! 

No matter what you are facing, Daimoku will get you through. Please remember that I can't give individual guidance via email. Please go to your local senior in faith for guidance. That is the beauty of the Soka Gakkai. 

Have a great weekend! 

Wednesday, November 2, 2016

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.

Wednesday, August 24, 2016

Jamie's Experience - How to Turn Poison Into Medicine ~ Feel Free to Share

Jamie and Ben


I’m a Mom, and a writer. Being a MOM has been the best thing I’ve ever done. I embraced it wholeheartedly, raised my two Buddha Boys with the Gohonzon (the scroll we focus on when we chant that brings allows us to bring forth our highest life condition from within. It is a mirror of our inner lives, and our Buddhahood.) as their focus for creating happiness, and enjoyed every moment of Mommyhood from singing Tura Lura Lura to them as I tucked them in at night, and waking them up singing You are my Sunshine. I loved them with all my heart. My children chanted Nam-myoho-renge-kyo as soon as they could talk. (NMRK means: I fuse my life with the mystic law of cause and effect through sound vibration and is the title of the Lotus Sutra)

Before my first child was born I chanted a million daimoku (Nam-myoho-renge-kyos) for him NOT to have the same karma as me. I grew up having trouble fitting in. I had few real friends and always felt that happiness lay somewhere outside my grasp. I was determined, through my prayer, for my child to be self-assured…have friends and have a goal in life that he was passionate about.  Everyday, I read “On Attaining Buddhahood” to him while I was carrying him. Aaron Michael Silver came out raring to go…self directed…a leader in every way…a boy who had confidence, wisdom, poise. He made friends and has been elected to leadership everywhere he goes. He is now a doctor in Phoenix, practicing Buddhism.
Aaron and me in Phoenix
Aaron was the most loving and compassionate brother to Benjamin Lee Silver, who came along when Aaron was almost three.
Ben was highly creative...a writer, poet, singer, songwriter, boy with whom I laughed and laughed, he had perfect and natural comic timing.
Ben found his passion and success in running. He was the ONLY student ever to represent his high school three times at the Cross Country state meet. He was adored by all of our town, Downers Grove…people came from everywhere to watch him. College coaches were coming out to see him when he was only in 7th grade. He was what they call a running phenom.  And he was practicing Buddhism his whole life. Ever year he gave a talk on SGI Buddhism during civics class in High School. Both my sons chanted with me, and got their omamories when they went to college.
Ben’s goal during High School was to get a full scholarship for running to college. He accomplished this goal.
BUT, when he got there, to a school 5 hours away from me, his ankle was injured from running, and he could never get back to his star running days…he could not run at all.
Of course I was worried about him…but I never could have predicted that the anxiety that started coming on would lead to a full blown mental illness..and cause him to descend into paranoid schizophrenia…a brain disease with no real cure. It was as if someone had removed my sweet son’s head, and put the head of a stranger on it.
I fought with all my might. I chanted one, two, three four hours a day…sometimes more. I carried the words of President Ikeda and the Gosho in my heart at all times.
I had a fierce determination to turn poison into medicine, and I continually chanted to see through sensei’s eyes, hear through his ears and have daimoku as strong as his! I always chanted to show actual proof no matter what.
I had a job where I was totally protected…years of building fortune through chanting rose to protect me. I gave motivational speeches throughout the hospital system and to communities everywhere. I set my own hours and had a wonderful boss who didn't micromanage me. It was perfect, since I had time to chant and go to all the doctor's appointments as I focussed on helping my son stay alive and get well.

I returned to this quote from Sensei in For Today and Tomorrow over and over:
"Faith is light.
The hearts of those with strong faith are filled with light.
A radiance envelopes their lives.
People with unshakable conviction in faith enjoy a happiness that is as luminous as the full moon on a dark night, as dazzling as the sun on a clear day."
I chanted to be that sun as I went about giving motivation speeches and brightening people’s lives.
I responded, like the fierce disciple I am. I determined to WIN. NO MATTER WHAT. And I determined to create value from this in a big huge way. As a disciple of Sensei, Daisaku Ikeda, I chanted to WIN, to continue to prove that this practice works. No matter what. I vowed to win in every aspect of my life…my job…my health…my relationships…BECAUSE of this obstacle, not in spite of it, so I could encourage others. 
AND I chanted every day for Ben to live a life of value that he loved!
And even though he kept trying to take his life…I thought Ben would live, and speak in front of young people urging them to stay alive. I thought THAT was his mission.

But no. He got stuck in the hospital…and stuck in our broken mental health system. There was nowhere for him to go, no one would take a young man who had had so many attempts to take his life. And July 2nd of 2015 he left his physical body to begin a new journey…and set me on a new journey myself…as a grieving mother…as a “suicide loss survivor” a club no one wants to belong to..
Daisaku Ikeda states, in Ikedaquotes.org, that:

"Buddhism identifies the pain of parting from one’s loved ones as one of life’s inevitable sufferings. It is certainly true that we cannot avoid experiencing the sadness of separation in this life. 
In the Buddhist view, the bonds that link people are not a matter of this lifetime alone. And because those who have died in a sense live on within us, our happiness is naturally shared with those who have passed away. So, the most important thing is for those of us who are alive at this moment to live with hope and strive to become happy. 
By becoming happy ourselves, we can send invisible “waves” of happiness to those who have passed away. But if we allow ourselves to be overwhelmed by sorrow, the deceased will feel this sorrow too, as we are always together, inseparable."  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 
In those first few days after Ben “became eternal” I could feel his release. I could feel his eternal life. It had not disappeared. There is no DEATH.
I could see him in the birds, the wind, the sunshine.
The deep connection I shared with my son opened this world to me in a whole new way…just like the death of Josei Toda did with President Ikeda...as you know, in his heart, President Ikeda converses ceaselessly withhis mentor Josei Toda.

I chanted with all my heart to make the biggest medicine of this horrible nightmare of losing my beloved son. I posted on chantforhappiness.com "My Dear Friends, About My Ben" on July 4th, 2015. Here's the link: http://chantforhappiness.blogspot.com/2015/07/to-my-dear-friends-about-my-ben.html
My determination was for not one person to be discouraged. My readers, my dear friends, went through Ben's illness with me. I cherish all of them, all of you, with all my heart. 

Linda Johnson came to visit me. She said I would create meaning from this, and there was no need to rush to figure it out, it would just happen with my continued strong practice. Thank you Linda!

All our lives, Ben and I had communicated through poetry.
I began writing to him.
And on a Friday, at the pool, I wrote and here’s the exciting thing…I kept my pen in my hand and heard his voice in my head and wrote what I heard him say so clearly:
Dear Ben,
Soaring above us all
free and flying
you got your way
you ended your torturous road
you are released
you are released.
And now, you will have all of us chanting for you
as your mission continues,
right here,
right now, forever.

Oh Ben,
Write through me
laugh through me
live your happiness all around me.

My dear boy, I know you never meant to hurt me. Not ever.

Ben, maybe you’re sitting right next to me on this Friday ~
right here by the pool.
What do you have to say?

Mom,

I did it.
I meant to do it.
~ at the time ~
and I knew it would make you sad,
but somehow I still had to do it.
I had to obey my mind, my legs, my feet,
my incredible surge of strength and courage.
I could not say no.
It had to happen.
And this story is not yet written, is not yet told ~
but will be.
My life, and death
HAVE meaning,
Not HAD.
Dearest Mom, my closest friend, 
my absolute love, 
don’t despair.
I know you, you, you
will create a life of meaning, of love, of warmth and creativity.

Together we will live on
Together
       we will always live on
Enjoy the sun
       Enjoy this day
              Enjoy your life.
                            Your Ben


Magnificent! I heard hi saying every word, and wrote as he was talking. I do not believe I am special. I believe life is eternal, and to be open to it is a gift we can give ourselves. ALL WE HAVE TO DO IS BE open.

My grief therapist told me what I was doing could have a real impact on other people suffering from grief. And when I attended a suicide loss support group I realized something important…because I have constant communication with Ben, I am sad, but not tortured in the way that others are…wondering what would have been said in a note…tortured by thoughts that they could have done more…I got my note…a week later. 

And while chanting to turn poison into medicine I came to realize that I could teach others how to write to their “deceased” eternal loved ones in a way that they could also receive letters back. It’s easy. Anyone can do it. I have taught many. I can teach MORE.

Fast forward...
I knew it was time to make major changes.
I wanted to move…I had always longed for the heat
I traveled to Florida, where my wonderful nephew, Dr. Josh Silver lives, and decided to move to St. Pete by the anniversary of Ben’s “becoming eternal.” When I got home from visiting Florida I chanted 3 hours a day for a week for all the doors to open for me to come alone (I also finalized my divorce in 2015) to St. Pete.
Somewhere along the way, as I was chanting,  I decided as long as I’m moving to Florida, and as long as this Gohonzon and my life has power…I am moving to an apartment overlooking the beach! So I chanted for that.
Josh, his girlfriend Nikki and me 
at the St. Pete/Clearwater SGI center

Turns out my step Mom had a cousin who lived in St Pete Beach, in a building that’s almost impossible to get into…overlooking the water. This cousin found me an apartment that is not even usually rented, five stories above the gulf…with sunrises…sunsets…lightning..a spot of heaven. I took it! I set my goal…by the anniversary of Ben’s becoming eternal, by July 2nd, 2016, I’d be living on the beach!
Right before I came here, I managed to get my book into written form so I could have it for Ben’s Memorial Mile on June 11th. It was a huge success of an event! People of all ages came to Ben’s High School’s outdoor track for many different races, costume miles, mile walks, kids runs…with music, fun…and we and raised 22k for schizophrenia research.

RIght after that I gave away everything I owned, packed my car and drove to the beach! But that’s not all…Poison into medicine here we come!
As soon as I got here I reconnected with a young friend of my nephew’s and she got her Gohonzon just a few weeks ago! My mission continues!

My therapist Amy continued to tell me my book was important for others…and that my book actually follows the most revered grief therapy models, and takes them to the next level… because I was “integrating” Ben into my life through our writings, and that’s the most important piece of grief work. What’s more, I’m not writing like a medium, there’s no magic involved. It’s an easily teachable modality.
Senses states in Ikedaquotes.org:
"Through struggling to overcome the pain and sadness that accompanies death, we become more aware of the dignity of life and can come to share the sufferings of others as our own." 
Daisaku Ikeda
And in conclusion! 
This week, I got confirmation that the an organization devoted to mental illness awareness and suicide prevention is going to publish my book, and has invited me to host writing workshops for parents, siblings and friends of suicide loss survivors. I am now going to be a published author because of my sweet, sweet boy. And his eternal life goes on and on and on. My vision for our works together is vast. We are writing it all together.

Ben told me today:
Mom, this is easy. 
All these people can be helped. 
Everyone can be soothed by knowing their loved one is right here…and there is no “death.” 
I’m right here. 
I will always be right here. 
I’m your biggest cheerleader.
Your forever loving Benjamin Lee Silver. 
Forever. 
Your Forever Ben.

Poison into medicine? I’ll say. I’m living in paradise. I’m writing up a storm. I have my Ben and mission laid out.
Poison into Medicine! Nam-myoho-renge-kyo!