Welcome to Chantforhappiness.com,
a blog about drawing forth our own power,
our own entire universe of Buddhahood
from within our lives by
chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo
Meaning:
I fuse my life
with the mystic law of cause and effect
through sound vibration)
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It is a noble and fulfilling practice. I began this blog almost 7 years ago when I was suffering from severe depression after a breakup. I determined to chant two hours a day to permanently alleviate the depression that had been in my life's karma since before I was born---it's been part of my karma, my mother's karma, and my family karma for countless generations. By chanting these two hours a day I took a stand to permanently root this karma of depression out of my life. During the first hour of chanting I realized I could do this and take the world along with me by writing this blog. I was successful. I no longer have any depression. I do not wake up with a veil of sadness that follows me through the day. It is gone.
We, as Nichiren Buddhists, know that problems and challenges are part of life...that they actually are part of the fulfillment of a vow we made before we were born to prove the validity of this mystic law. Our challenges are, in fact, the answer to our prayers and our means to strengthen our faith (and when we say faith we do not mean just belief - we mean belief put into action to get results).
And sometimes our problems are daunting and persist. How do we deal with those?
What do we do with a problem we keep trying to change, but somehow - we haven't changed it yet?
The first thing we can do is to NOT get down on ourselves. It's easy to think "If I had more faith, I'd have solved this problem by now." But that type of thinking does not get us anywhere, does it? It is a form of self-slander, and no good can come of that!
So please don't get mad at yourself if a problem persists. Together we must boldly advance every day doing what we know we need to do...chanting, studying the words of Daisaku Ikeda, our wise, wise encourager and mentor, and reading the Gosho of Nichiren Daishonin, the man who realized that chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo was the most powerful teaching for our time and endured persecution after persecution. He didn't say "Oh, this persecution is a sign that my faith is weak." He didn't get down on himself when he was exiled to Sado Island. He did not slander his own life by asking "Why me?"
No. He saw these challenges as proof of this faith, and we have to do the same. Being part of the SGI, going to local meetings, and chanting every morning and evening is our great, great fortune and a gift we give ourselves.
And every day - every SINGLE day, we can make a new determination to bring the solution from within our lives...and keep moving forward!
Whatever you are challenging in your life, I invite you today to appreciate yourself anew. Do something nice for yourself. Be your own best friend. Think about ten things you appreciate about yourself. Write a note to yourself. Get a massage. Do something nice for yourself. Honor your strength, courage, beauty and wisdom.
Winter always turns to Spring! Do not give up! Let's keep persevering together!
