How to Increase Your Belief in YOUR OWN Buddha Nature

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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. 

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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! 

PowerPrayer (Fresh Determination) to go from Hope-less to Hope-FULL Right Here Right Now

"No matter how hopeless or bleak things appear, the moment always comes when suddenly our spirit revives, and hope is reborn. That is why we must never give up."

"Hope is the secret to a robust life force."

"When we possess the treasure of hope, it gives rise to other treasures, too. Hope draws forth our inner potential and strength. Hope is a magic weapon that enables us to make our dreams come true."

All three quotes are by Daisaku Ikeda from Ikedaquotes.org

How is is possible to go from Hopelessness to Hopefulness again and again? For me the key is found in Daimoku. 

Occasionally I post a blog talking about how I'd chant for two or three hours...I just keep chanting, and kind of lose track. I don't want to stop chanting. Today was one of those days. (I'm still evacuated from Hurricane Irma, but will return next week)

A reader wrote in and asked "How do you do this? I find it hard to chant for 10 minutes." And I understand that. Really I do. 

As I've said before, I am a fellow Bodhisattva of the Earth. Next month I'll go into my 33rd year of practicing within the beloved SGI organization. I don't speak for the SGI. I only offer my life as an example of what is possible when you chant. In that light, I'll share with you my own techniques for overcoming hopelessness.

First of all, what is hopelessness...nothing but fundamental darkness, right? So when I'm feeling hopeless about anything, I know I need to really focus on building my life-condition through chanting. 

Here is a PowerPrayer I am currently using. PowerPrayers are Fresh Determinations. They are meant to be read before chanting to fuel some thoughts while chanting...they are not a prescription...just some fresh ideas!

PowerPrayer for Moving from Hopelessness to Hopefulness:By Jamie Lee Silver of ChantforHappiness.com 

Life! 

Starting Right Now, With this daimoku, 

I bring the light of hope into my life! 

I feel every cell in my body responding to this bright presence as I realize YES I can accomplish my dreams. 

I CAN and I AM changing my karma this very second. With every Nam-myoho-renge-kyo I am chanting! 

Even though it feels like it may be impossible...it's NOT. Everything I dream can come true! 

I will not be defeated. Fundamental darkness, I see you for what you are, and you are no match for me! I will chant you away, over and over again. I don't care how many times you rise up to make me feel hopeless...I WILL WIN! I WILL WIN because I am a noble Bodhisattva of the Earth. I will win because I am chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo right this very second. I will win! I will win for myself and I will win to be an example for others that ANYTHING is possible. 

I will show, through my own life, that Kosen Rufu is possible...that a world of respect for all is possible. I will win over my own inner darkness so the world will become a brighter place! 

I chant now for ______________________________________________________________________________________________________

(fill in the names of the people you are chanting for)

I chant for these outcomes!_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

I chant to see my life clearly, realize my shortcomings and change them. Nam-myoho-renge-kyo! 

I chant for the world, my country, every member of my family, every person I love, every person I feel any kind of conflict with - I chant for their happiness! 

I chant for kosen-rufu to happen through me...starting right here! Right Now! 

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(And a special note - sometimes while I am chanting, I wonder whether it's making a difference. Sometimes I do not immediately feel relief or refreshment. Sometimes chanting does feel like work. Do it anyway! The relief will come. The changes will come!) 

Whatever you do...study...attend Buddhist meetings...do shakubuku and do not give up hope. The new day of happiness WILL dawn. If you need someone to talk to...please reach out to your fellow SGI members, friends, or professionals. Sending love!  

Perfecting Our Spiritual Workouts (Gongyo!) to Bring Benefit to Our Lives

As I'm sitting here watching the news about hurricane Irma barreling this way.
Please join me in chanting for Irma to veer to the right and north and miss America completely! 
Let's also chant about the flooding in India, the wildfires in the West and continued cleaning up in Texas and all other areas affected by Hurricane Harvey. Oh yes, let's not forget North Korea, and keeping the peace. 
There is so much going on. 

Here are some of my thoughts on how we can continue to leverage our spiritual muscles to change ourselves, and change the world. 

Perfecting our daily recitation of Gongyo and Daimoku is our spiritual work-out for the interior of our lives. This work-out makes our environments 
(our world at every moment, and all the people and things and EVERYTHING in it) 
flow smoothly...and we can accomplish our goals and live fulfilling lives.  

When Shakyamuni was meditating under the Bodhi Tree, he was assailed by many thoughts to make him stop or to throw off his meditation. 
He kept focused. He won. 
Our practice of Gongyo every day is just like this. 
We are the Buddha! 
Every day - twice a day!  
We must win! 

Gongyo is important!

Our concentration will pay off. Doing gongyo with the following guidelines has brought me great benefit. 
(As always ~ these writings are mine, and come from my heart to yours.)

5 Keys to Make Your Gongyo 

and Your Life Sparkle!

Don't just "do" Gongyo. Feel it. Experience it.
by Jamie Lee Silver at chantforhappiness.com

1. Put your phone in another room. 
                 Claim this time as your own! 

2. Pray each silent prayer with all your heart. 

Elevate the moment from reading to praying! 

Read each silent prayer over and over until you can actually feel the appreciation. Read the silent prayers until they sink in...so you are truly praying in appreciation. If you don't know why Nichiren Daishonin and the three presidents deserve your praise, please ask a fellow member and study the history of Nichiren Buddhism and the Soka Gakkai. (Clink the link to the right to find your local SGI group) It took tremendous conviction and courage to bring this practice to us today! 
During these prayers, I bring forth the gratitude I feel for having this practice in my life.   

3. Begin and end Gongyo 
                     with no interruptions. 

You can chant as long as you'd like between gongyo and the silent prayers. 
Sometimes I recite the silent prayers at the end of Gongyo soon after the recitation...not after finishing all my daimoku for the morning. This makes it easier to do a complete gongyo before I get up to do something else, or refresh my drink or whatever. 
I start and complete gongyo. Boom. 
Then I can do as much daimoku as I want, with gongyo done. Complete. With no interruptions. If I get interrupted in the middle of gongyo I begin again! I see this helping me complete things in my life on a much more regular basis. 

4. Chant every morning and evening. 

I know, I know, you've heard this before. The reason I keep repeating this message is that it WORKS! When we do gongyo twice a day our lives get on a roll. You have to experience it to see it! I can't tell you how it feels. I can tell you that one of my YWD (young woman) finally began chanting twice a day (after refusing to do this for two years) she was able to realize a hidden goal, bring it to the surface, chant about it, and now she's living her dream in Colorado. Chanting twice a day WORKS! 

5. Perfect Your Rhythm 
              and Pronunciation of Gongyo

In the early days of my practice, I was fortunate to have a leader who believed that perfecting gongyo was important. Every day I showed up at her house to fine-tune my rhythm and pronunciation. You can do the same, and it will energize your practice and life. 
I suggest finding a mentor in your SGI circle who can work with you. To learn, we can bring a pencil and circle the parts we find difficult, and highlight our mistakes. The next time through we can be aware of the challenging parts because we circled them. We can learn it like a song. 
It is easier to learn it right the first time, but not impossible to fix, if learned wrong. 

Having perfect gongyo gives us confidence. 

I'd like to hear your stories of how perfecting your gongyo changes your life. Everything we do to enhance our practice is reflected in our lives. 

Gongyo and Daimoku are our laboratory 
where we create the lives of our dreams! 

I'm interested in hearing how you are perfecting your gongyo! 
Doing Gongyo is like lifting spiritual weights. how strong can we make our lives? 
That's what we're talking about! 

Email me at chantforhappiness@gmail.com

How do we Fight With The Heart of the Lion King?

I wanted to write to you all about how we are renting an RV and heading to South Carolina to see the total eclipse of the sun. It is so exciting! 
Then I got home and heard the latest news and did some studying and want to share this: 

The youth are studying "The Opening of the Eyes" so I picked up a copy to study along with them. 

From the Opening of the Eyes, chapter entitled
"Why the Votary Encounters Persecutions", page 121. 

By Daisaku Ikeda, 

"In my mind I can hear the Daishonin 
calling out vigorously to his followers: 
"If you are not going to fight now, when will you fight? 
My followers, stand up with courage! 
If you fight with the heart of the lion king, 
you will expiate all past offenses 
and transform your karma!
Let us lead to enlightenment even the icchantikas 
(persons of incorrigible disbelief), 
and help free humankind from fundamental darkness!
(illusion, xenophobia (fear of people from other countries)hatred, fear, prejudice and the forces that stop us from practicing, notes from me)
Let us establish the correct teaching for the peace of the land and construct a world where we can all live together happily and peacefully."

What does it take to "fight with the heart of a lion king?" Well, as I always mention, I am not employed by the SGI and don't speak for them, but I do practice this Buddhism as hard as I can to change my karma, and change the karma of the world. So I will tell you what this means to me. 

Fighting with the heart of a lion king means looking fearlessly at our own lives, making the deepest vow possible as votaries of the Lotus Sutra to change ourselves, change our karma, SEE ourselves, and chant to change all illusion, all self-slander, all doubt, all in the name of being happy, and in creating a happy world for ourselves and others. It means vowing to have victory in our lives, not just for ourselves, but for kosen-rufu - to show others what is possible.
And it means chanting for the youth. Chanting hard for the youth. In a few seconds, I'll be joining my district's toso to spend an hour chanting for the youth. They are our beacons of hope and they need our daimoku more than ever. They need our prayers more than ever...they are searching for this practice. NOW is the time! 

Let's all be fearless. Let's all join together and chant for the sake of our youth, for the sake of our country and for the sake of our beautiful world! 

Overcoming Problems Through Chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo

Hello!

Yesterday I went to the Tampa bay Region's Kosen-rufu Gongyo and it featured the film of Sensei where he says "Write! Keep Writing! Speak out! Keep speaking!" (paraphrased) and I thought "Yes!" That is Sensei speaking to me, and to all of us. 

This morning I was studying for the Sophia group study meeting on Thursday and I read this about overcoming challenges: 

From the August 2017 Living Buddhism, The New Human Revolution Volume 27, chapter 3, installments 9-12, page 53:

"We can't understand others' hardships if we haven't experiences suffering ourselves. If leaders who lack such empathy come to hold sway over society, it will be a great misfortune for its citizens. That's why I'm always encouraging the youth, our future leaders, to take on challenges and hardships..."

"Struggling with problems is essential to our growth as human beings. It forges our spirit and becomes a source of creativity for opening new ways forward. It is no exaggeration to say that our real abilities are born from our capacity to grapple with problems. Cultivating this capacity, therefore is vital to realizing our full potential as human beings."

Recently I received an email from someone who was looking for a job and considering turning their Gohonzon back in because they hadn't found one yet. And I suggested they go to speak with their senior leaders, because I thought that was the best course of action. Getting guidance can be one of the best things you ever do your yourself. Being open to guidance is being open to life...open to improvement. 

And in reflecting on this email I might think: "You are mistaking the point of this practice." YOU are the Gohonzon. Your power to overcome this suffering rests with you and you alone. Giving back the Gohonzon won't help. Only you can help your life by biting into this problem, not complaining and challenging your life to turn poison into medicine."

Early in my practice I had a terrible boss, and I spent a full hour every morning chanting fiercely and vowing to change this karma and never have a terrible boss again! The boss changed, I changed, and I left that job for a wonderful job I loved for almost 10 years. 

When my son Ben got sick in August of 2013, I never railed "What? My son is sick? Obviously this practice doesn't work!"
No, as documented in this blog, I chanted to overcome this source of suffering. I chanted for him to live a life that he was proud of...I chanted for his happiness, and that this challenge would bring poison into medicine, and create happiness for all. 

Over the next few years I fought valiantly with my practice...chanting two, three, four, five hours a day. Doing shakubuku, studying, having meetings every week at my house. 

And yes, the outcome wasn't what I was chanting for...and then again it was. Right now, I'm leading people who are grieving to happiness through my Grief Relief workshops and individual sessions. I connect people to their loved-ones-in-spirit, just as Ben and I are connected, through the written word.  Ben is helping me. Life is eternal. And he is free of sickness. And I am more grateful than ever for this practice. 

So when we have challenges, let's not erode our fortune by complaining. Let's say "YES! I get it! Another chance for me to challenge my life, build my compassion, and make myself a stronger, wiser fighter for kosen-rufu, my happiness, and the happiness of all!" Rooooaaaaaaarrrr like the lions we are! Go get "em!  

Going From Grief to Relief!

Here's a picture of me and my son Ben. Many of you know him, or chanted for him when he was sick, and when he became eternal on July 2nd, 2015, when he was 22.  

Ever since I got back from Ben's Memorial Mile in June,  I've been preparing for tonight's talk at First Unity Spiritual Center in St. Petersburg, Florida. Go From Grief to Relief. Chanting three hours a day for everyone who attends to have some kind of permanent relief!  

It will be my first talk in my new city. 

It's amazing how fast a year flies. This time last year I was here in Florida finishing my book "Our Forever Ben, One Mom's Letters to her Son-in-Spirit and his poetic replies." (Available on Amazon).  It was difficult to write the book because I had to overcome all the thoughts of not being good enough. One day I thought I could write the book, the next day I was sure I could never write it....but I kept chanting and kept writing to Ben and somehow gave birth to this book. Right now it's helping people with grief all over the world. 

Being a Buddhist isn't easy, is it? We HAVE to turn poison into medicine. But when you think about it, isn't that what we want to do anyway? Take anything bad and make it great? We have that power when we chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo with all our hearts. Then, as my son Aaron says, when we've really chanted and taken action, we know we are at our best. We know we are doing the best we can do. And that feels good. 

I've been hearing from you to post more often so I'm going to do my best to more frequently. 
Just don't give up. 
Get guidance from your local leaders. Study. Chant. Take action. Do shakubuku. That's the formula for happiness. And chant for kosen-rufu! 

Tonight I will teach people to write letters to their loved ones, and have their loved ones write back to them through their own hand (or imagining that their loved ones are writing back to them). This is something I developed. It's not part of Buddhism, but the belief that life is eternal fits.
It's not necessary that you believe this is possible, or you do it to be a Buddhist. This is my gift, and talent to teach.    

Whatever you are doing, wherever you are, no matter how dark it seems ~ DO Not Give UP! 
Sending love, Jamie
Jamie@jamieleesilver.com 

PowerPrayer to Make Each Moment Count!

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How do we approach our lives powerfully? 
How do we make each moment count? 
How do we generate "earnest resolve"?

We KNOW that each moment contains the seed and power of the entire universe within our lives (ichinen sanzen) We KNOW THIS MOMENT is important. What do we need to harness and activate and use this knowledge with every fiber of our being? Here are some insights from the September Gosho study on the Gift of Rice:

The Gosho, the Gift of Rice states: 
"When we carefully consider what exactly "earnest resolve" refers to, it is the doctrine of observing the mind." 
(From the Gift of Rice by Nichiren Daishonin, Living Buddhism September 2015, page 29)

President Ikeda states "Everything is determined by the direction in which our "earnest resolve" orients our minds. When we focus our "earnest resolve" on our Buddhist practice, believing and practicing the Mystic Law that enables all people to attain enlightenment, our inner Buddhahood reveals itself, pervading our lives and the environment." 
LB, 9/15, page 38

How powerfully can earnest resolve work in our lives? 

Akeymi Bailey Haynie, our National SGI Leader said one day she heard her mother cry out from a nightmare, and realized that her mother had been having nightmares every night. (Her mother is a survivor of the WWII bombings in Japan). Akeymi developed a deep resolve in her heart and sat down and chanted 15 minutes of focused Daimoku that her mother would NEVER AGAIN have another nightmare. She reached that level of "now or never" or "NO WAY!" that is so powerful, and her Mom never had another nightmare. 

We all have this power in our lives. Sensei tells us this every day. When we are in front of the Gohonzon it is up to us to summon this resolve, and to focus our minds.

We all have this power! Today I offer you: 

PowerPrayer to Ignite and Focus
Our Inner Resolve
by Jamie Lee Silver from ChantforHappiness.com

LIFE! 
Now it the crucial moment! 
THIS MOMENT 
While I am chanting I am drawing a line in the sand! 
I am changing this KARMA Forever - 
I am rooting the cause from my life now! 
This shall happen:__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
and/or THIS shall STOP happening:________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
I NOW summon all the power vested in me as a worthy votary of the Lotus Sutra. 
My life is Powerful!
I am turning my attention and focus to this powerful intention:
__________________________________________________
My daimoku is Powerful
Shoten Zenjin activate your forces NOW! 
Each Daimoku summons my power!
Each Daimoku has an effect NOW
For the sake of World Peace, I ignite my vow!
I will show actual proof -  inspire myself, inspire others, 
and change the world! 
Nam-myoho-renge-kyo!
Nam-myoho-renge-kyo!
Nam-myoho-renge-kyo! 

You Possess a Glorious Future - Have the Spirit to Begin Anew!

A bad day doesn't mean a bad practice. We all have them...days when we feel we really can't connect to our source of strength via chanting and using the ultimate tool, the Gohonzon. (Scroll which represents our highest life condition. See sgi-usa.org for more explanation.) 

Do you ever sit down with clear intention to chant, but then get interrupted, or just not be able to really give it your all? This happens to the best of believers...to every single one of us. (If it NEVER happens to you, please write me and tell me your secret.) 

And the important thing is not to think "oh, this really doesn't work...or I should just give up...what's the use anyway? I can't chant this morning, so I won't try tonight", and suddenly tomorrow comes and it's too hard to chant that day too?

Here's the slippery slope. 

And the antidote, I believe, is to treat every gongyo as the sacred session with your own life that it truly is. If you can't do it in the morning, or you don't feel like you were able to feel that connection...well, in the evening, make another determination and don't fall off the bandwagon as they say. And if that doesn't work, make the determination to start the next day with a bright and fresh gongyo and daimoku.

Aahhhh, when you do this continually, and never concede defeat, your life will shine!

Daisaku Ikeda says, in Faith Into Action, page 146, under "Perseverance":

"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. 
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 worry about the past. 
We must always have the spirit to begin anew 
"from this moment,"
to initiate a new struggle each day."

Kate Update! She's doing great. Please Keep Chanting!

Kate sounds great! Thank you for your patience! I'm in Chicago for book signings for my new book, "Our Forever Ben." I'll make announcements about that shortly. 

For the moment I'm still focused on Kate. 

She came through the surgery with flying colors, as my sweet Mommy would say!

I talked to her on Saturday and she remembered everything, and was extremely grateful for her life. You know, we have those moments, if we're lucky, to sit back and say "Wow, I have a new lease on life. I can see through clearer eyes. I can appreciate everything like NEVER before." Kate was crying tears of gratitude. FOR YOU! She knows you are chanting for her. She can feel your daimoku. And it's the Randolph family's determination that every single person who is chanting for Kate has a great breakthrough in faith and benefit. 

Kate's illness gives us ALL a chance to breathe that gratitude in. 

As I write this, we are not quite sure what kind of tumor they removed. So I am chanting as vigilantly as before. I think back to FNCC, just a few days ago. Kate and I spent an hour alone in the peace garden, taking in the quotes by Daisaku Ikeda, really feeling our gratitude towards our mentor. 

And Kate reminded me of the address he gave us in 2010 before Rock the Era. She said there was a quote in that address that she chanted to understand - with her life - what every word meant. I'm sure she'd be really happy to share it with you now: 

Daisaku Ikeda stated: 

"You must decide 
that the oneness of mentor and disciple 
is the primary quest of your life." 

What does this mean? I cannot tell you. It is something each person can glean for themselves. What happens to you when you chant to understand this with your life? 

And here we are, in the states, coming up on the holiday season. in Chicago we just had our first snow...and it's the holiday season. (I'm visiting from Florida) As I was driving today I realized the holidays are so poignant because we are longing for a moment, a glimpse, a scent, a song, of our past. And, if we are lucky, if we are generous in our hearts, we can let the feeling in. We can see the images of our childhood, feel the hugs of our grandchildren and gaze into the eyes of our children who are now all grown up. 

And bask. Bask in the beauty that we are. Bask in the lives we have. Bask in the eternity of each life. This is my second Christmas without my son Ben in physical form, but through our writings he is more with me than ever. Kate always says, "We are Buddhists. We breathe rarified air." 

Yes we do. 

Sending you love from me and Kate and her family!

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.

6 Keys to Stop Suffering and Start Thriving!

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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!