Bhavya's Experience of Victory

Bhavya and Ayaan

My name is Bhavya Sawhney 
I have been practicing this beautiful philosophy for the last 7 years. I am the mother of two-kosen rufu kids, one 6-year girl Aashina, and a 5-month-old boy, Ayaan. With this practice I have had lots of victories and today I will share the most recent one.

Last week was very tough for me. I had an important test on Friday the 12th of this month, but since Monday the 8th Ayaan had severe stomach flu. He had become very cranky and wouldn’t leave me.  I was getting very tense since I had to study as well as take care of him. If I tried to leave him with my mother in law or my husband he would just cry for hours.

This time, instead of getting stressed and applying my own strategies, I made the Gohonzon my center and put my practice first.  I  also read Sensei’s guidance often. 

“There may be times when life seems gloomy and dull when we feel stuck in some situation or other when we are negative towards everything when we feel lost and bewildered, not sure which way to turn. At such times we must transform our passive mind set and determine “I will proceed along this path I will pursue my mission today”. When we do so, a genuine springtime arrives in our heart and flowers start to bloom.”

 Also I reached out to Jamie and requested her support so every day of that week I made a determination to chant one hour of daimoku together no matter what, to excel in my exam and for Ayaan to get over this flu. On Monday the doctor told me it could take 2 weeks for him to get better! When Jamie and I were discussing about this we said “No way! He will get well immediately with our Daimoku! It has to be out a.s.a.p!”

This daimoku was setting a victory every day for me, a mission that was getting closer and closer.  By chanting an hour every day I was able to focus more on my studies. This daimoku was giving me a rhythm to study and concentrate and not to get tense. In every way, I was putting my practice first. Ayaan would be with us doing daimoku too for the full hour. It is difficult to do that. Many people strategize things but won’t get up to chant. But for me it was my practice. 

I stopped strategizing and started doing winning daimoku that no matter what I will be able to study, and the day of test my little monster will be ok. He won’t bother my mother in law and my husband.

Here I stand to report my victory. 

I went to take my test and my son was perfectly fine. He had overcome the flu that very same day!

I would like to conclude with the gosho line “MUSTER YOUR FAITH AND PRAY TO GOHONZON THEN WHAT IS THERE THAT CANNOT BE ACHIEVED “

I am determined to work for kosen rufu whole heartedly... to be the sun of my family...to never doubt this Gohonzon no matter whatever happens. I will do morning and evening gongyo consistently to introduce my friends and family to this practice.

You are the Buddha ~ A quote from Daisaku Ikeda

A Buddha is definitely not an absolute being living a 

static existence. 

A Buddha shares the sufferings of others 

and, sensing the condition of the time,

earnestly ponders how to transform that condition. 

A Buddha vows to struggle 

in order to lead the people and the age to 

enlightenment. 


The strength of this vow 

causes the 

Buddha's enlightenment to

mature into rich wisdom.


~ Daisaku Ikeda

Julia's Experience of Victory

Good morning, I'm posting Julia's experience in case you didn't see it, and so you can forward it to your friends. It is truly an experience of victory...with more to come! Today my sons and I are going to the Chicago Buddhist Center to see President Ikeda's film, attend Tomell Caesar DaSilva's experience and give my boys a chance to get to know more practicing guys their age. I'll post pictures from today later. For now, please enjoy Julia's experience. 

Dear Chant For Happiness Readers,

There is perhaps no greater happiness than an occasion to honor one's debt of gratitude towards a mentor in Buddhism. A Buddhist mentor

is perhaps the most honorable person in one's life because they give us the means by which we can attain absolute happiness and

develop indestructible life strength that endures from lifetime to lifetime, throughout eternity, the cause of a permanent, positive upward spiral

that makes the heart dance for joy, even when there's no apparent reason to do so.

Jamie is just such such a mentor in my life.

Some of you may remember me from an earlier post here on Chant For Happiness. Jamie Silver Shakubuked me "with her life."

When Jamie first talked to me about the practice we discussed how it worked. Over a decade later  when I saw her again she didn't have to say a thing about Buddhism, because her life spoke for itself. The changes were unmistakable and I realized I had to start chanting right away. 

I received the Gohonzon nearly two years ago now. The benefits of chanting have been mounting for me lately. Most notably, as of this week, I have not only received

clarity about my mission I have been chanting for since 2012 began, but also, concrete actual proof that has literally enthralled even my skeptical husband.

I grew up in a very competitive culture in New York City where the arts were something you did as a child, "lessons" and the like, but were not considered something one should pursue into adulthood. In my case, this was not a source of conscious pain or sadness because I had not yet developed enough of my talent to realize what I was missing.

I became a therapist and a published author, a yoga instructor and healer. This all felt wonderful to me as I was helping other people, which has always been a passion of mine, and

reveling in a life of accomplishment. But deep down inside I was not happy. In fact, not only was I unhappy, I was getting sicker and sicker until finally the stress of my 

life landed me on the "permanently disabled" list.

When I first came down with the acute symptoms of CFS/Fibromyalgia/Chronic Lyme disease, I cracked up. I felt I had committed myself to a worthy spiritual and productive

life--how could it have failed me so miserably? I was sick all over, and I mean all over, and further more, I felt like an epic failure. A healer who gets sick? Who wants to be one of those?

Jamie chanted for me throughout several years of acute illness. I now realize that this, combined with the little spates of Daimoku I had chanted with her

over the years, is what enabled me to begin a sincere transformation of poison into medicine in my life. Before I became a Nichiren Buddhist, music took on something 

of the role of spiritual practice in the vacuum of my life as a chronically disabled person. However, as I have learned, there is no practice like the correct practice of chanting Nam Myoho Renge Kyo , and though music

filled my life with meaning, goals, breakthroughs and eventually a community of others similarly devoted to self perfection in the service of its craft,

music on its own did not bring me happiness and fulillment. In fact, it was something of "nectar in a sieve" by which Aristotle defined hedonism.

As an adult learner, I always felt physically awkward with

my instrument. A severe case of TMJ made singing

physically unpleasant and downright frustrating.

As I became more

proficient, against these odds, and with tons of patient support from my husband, Cliff, who was also my principal music teacher, I found my new role as rhythm guitarist for our duo very challenging. My husband, a powerful improvisational player, would speed up during his solos and I would be left holding on for dear life as the tunes we played became too fast to enjoy, in my case, and I felt the sensuality and nobility of strong music eluded me.

All of this changed forever for me this week and this is why I am writing.  I have had the "big breakthrough" and there is not a shadow of a doubt about it. Music is my Dharma.

I now see even my disability has been part of my mission all along. Let me back up first in order to go forwards...

About ten years ago, towards the end of my tenure as a therapist in private practice I was waiting in line to pay for my car at the Ellis-O'Farrell garage in downtown San Francisco, near Union Square. I was wearing my guitar in a back-pack over a cashmere prayer shawl my husband, Cliff, had bought in India. The woman behind me tapped me on the shoulder and asked me where I was playing. "in my office between clients" was my answer. 

She said, "Oh," then added, "I'm a psychic and I was reading your aura while we were in line and I definitely saw that you are a healer who works through your music, and I wanted very much to come out and hear you sing."

I laughed and thanked her, but told her I only played for myself as a kind of centering between counseling clients. I was no where near comfortable enough with what I was doing to even imagine singing/playing solo (without Cliff) let alone heal anyone by doing so. 

I felt she must have misread me, that it must have been the prayer shawl, but I never forgot the event. And now that I am writing you I am realizing its significance. 

I struggled so much with my singing due to jaw and breathing problems over the years, and hand problems from playing guitar, that this summer, in despair, I told Cliff I was 

just too sick to continue with music. The symptoms of peri-menopause on top of my chronic condition was making the whole thing just too difficult. Shows were leaving me 

drained and I was demoralized by my trouble commanding a strong enough rhythm to make us sound professional.

Cliff tried to argue against me, on my own behalf, ironically, but I would not have any of it. I decided it was just too painful to continue to struggle with so little satisfaction.

I inaugurated my second daimoku log and put in "Clarity about my mission for Kosen Rufu and profound strength" as my chanting goals, along with "faith like flowing water."

Well, just after my declaration to Cliff that I was giving up, inconspicuous benefit finally yielded to very conspicuous benefit, what we commonly call "miracles."

First, my insurance finally consented to cover treatment for my TMJ. And this only happened because a woman in the orthodontist's office who does such things went to war on my behalf. Her name, turns out, is "Charity." And yes, I gave her a NMHRK card!

Around this time I finally fully engraved into my life the Gosho that I first fell in love with when I received the Gohonzon, "A Sword will be useless in the hands of a Coward." Jamie had told me that this sounded to her like the Gosho that would guide me to happiness!

I realized, in tears one night before the Gohonzon that I wanted more than anything to sing beautifully! And with pleasure. And to feel myself developing dynamically as a musician. I began to chant lustily, passionately, as I never had before for anything. I let myself sob when necessary as I unblocked my heart from my true desire. My district leader here in Ukiah had told me "Every tear you cry in front of the Gohonzon will become a diamond in your life." This gave me the permission and the faith I needed to feel my feelings while praying, without any fear that I would be wallowing in my misery. And yes, the tears, each time, gave way to exalted states of real joy, even as they were still drying on my cheeks.

I began chanting for two hours a day. Sure enough, though he could make me no guarantee up front, my orthodontist (who turns out to be one of the nation's experts in resolving TMJ) has been more effective than I could have dreamed in changing not only my bite, but in releasing me from untold amounts of tension in my neck and shoulders, and all the way down my spine.

I wear my splint 14 hours a day, and even enjoy singing with it because it gives me incentive to open up my mouth more and more. 

This was just the tip of the iceberg. Soon miracles and benefits began pouring in from all sides.

Next, the most amazing thing of all. 

I began dancing for joy. 

In every sense of the words. A pattern called a paradiddle that drummers use began insinuating itself into my hands and I began to be able to tap it out for longer and longer periods without messing up. I found myself doing it on the steering wheel of my car. And soon, on my legs, while I was chanting. To my surprise, the paradiddle matched

the interlocking cycles of Nam Myoho Renge Kyo, which is six beats, and comes out perfectly in time with the drumming pattern every second daimoku. Wow, what a feeling!

Soon I was on the internet listening to my favorite trad music jam band called "Donna the Buffalo" and drumming to the polyrhythmic beat of my favorite tunes. Then, and this is what gives me joy-goose-bumps even to write it, I began drumming (with shakers) on my hips, while dancing to the tunes, and as of last night, drumming, dancing, and SINGING... ALL at the SAME TIME!

Woooooohoooo. This is what I call "Dancing for Joy!" It's amazing. I am dancing to express the joy I feel at healing to this degree, and the dancing itself fires up deep stores of joy in my body. It feels wonderful! I began to feel much healthier too. How could I not? 

Being this happy makes a person well. It's probably the only thing that really does. Happiness, that is. 

I have LOVED my last two performances. 

Completely different than EVERYTHING that has come before. Full of mystery and present moment satisfaction. Hearing my own voice with pleasure and having a talent scout come up to me and telling me I have "a golden voice, one like the honey that .... that...drips" 

I kid you not. It truly happened that way.

I called Jamie last night and shared excitedly about what has happened here. I asked her if I could share it with all of you. She said, yes, and had even recently downloaded a wonderful photo of me singing with Cliff that someone posted just around the time all of this started happening for me.

Dance for joy!

May you all find the profound strength within your life to chant for your true mission. Its worth the wait. Nam Myoho Renge Kyo.

Living a Victorious Life!

I'm just sitting here, greeting the day on my patio. I finished my 40 minute walk around the neighborhood and have some time to write to you. 


I'm thinking about what a happy life I have, and how I want every one of you to experience this happiness. 


I feel totally unafraid, fulfilled, happy about the present and looking forward to the future. 
I know that each part of my life is moving toward more and more happiness at every minute.  
I'm becoming healthier and more fit without dieting and messing up my metabolism, I'm wearing beautiful clothes and feel confident. 
I'm progressing at work, and I'm just about to launch a series of really cool products that will benefit you and the people I have yet to meet. 
I have fun and playful and warm relationships with so many people and I make more friends everyday. 
The vision I have written for my life is here, right now!


Some of you have been reading this blog since the beginning in 2009. You might remember ~ I was very much under the sway of intense emotions. I've had strong mood swings and depression and sadness most of my life. And every day I have faced the Gohonzon and told my life I WILL BE HAPPY! No matter how much the sadness and hopelessness comes to claim me...I WILL WIN!!! I MUST be happy so I can show others how it is done! 


And here I am...clear...free. Sitting on my patio, feeding the baby ducks, facing a day of fulfilling work and an evening at the pool with my sweet son...smiling at the beginning of each day...having beautiful dreams when I sleep...and greeting the next day with enthusiasm and happiness! 


And I greet each day with an hour of Daimoku. 


Each day I roar like a lion. 


Each day I CLAIM my happiness, I CLAIM my results, I CLAIM my life. 


I tell the Gohonzon (which is inside my life and IS my life) that I am praising my life and loving my own self. 
I have always known that real love comes from within, blah, blah blah, haven't we heard that our whole lives? And now, I am generating that love and feeling that love. 


I chant to PRAISE MY LIFE! 


I chant to live a sparkling life of happiness so that each one of you, and all my district members, and everyone I am meeting now, and will meet in the future will say 
"Hey! ~ This woman has something special. She has an inner glow. Maybe she can tell me how I can get that for myself!" And of course, nothing makes me happier than introducing people to this practice...and happiness for the rest of their lives! 


And YOU can be happier than you ever dreamed possible. Don't wait for it. If you are in a bad situation GET OUT OF IT! And keep chanting. Remember that this is not a practice of passive acceptance. It is a practice of ACTION! There is no need to suffer. Change what you do not like about your life! Chant for everyone and everything involved. Chant to KNOW the right action to take. Chant to be decisive and wise. 
And take action...starting with strong daimoku in the morning and in the evening. You have your Soka Gakkai district and friends for support. And if you're not yet a part of this wonderful organization full of warm hearts and shining eyes please JOIN US! We are here wanting to give you a hand into a happy life. We are all examples of victory! Go to the Soka Gakkai website and call the center closest to you. You will claim your new family. 


Write to me and share your experiences!! Let me know if I can share them with the readers. 
Be victorious! Happiness lies at the end of your determinations! Don't give up. ROAR like the LION YOU ARE! Nam Myoho Renge Kyo!!!!!

Turning Poison into Medicine - Relationship Success Stories

Here are some success stories to inspire you. 
All week we've been talking about taking poisonous relationships and turning them around by chanting for the other person's happiness. Check these stories out!


Experience:


We just finished an SGI meeting here in the Western Suburbs of Chicago. One of the members (I'll call her "B". told me the news about her sister-in-law. Last year "B", was in tears about a pending visit from her sister-in-law. Of course we talked for some time about the importance of chanting for the sister-in-law's happiness. It wasn't easy for "B" to do...but she did it! The visit was a little rocky, but "B" kept chanting strongly through it all. At one point, when she heard something bad her sister-in-law said about her, she had the courage to bring it up to the sister-in-law in a way that showed she deserved respect. And "B" kept chanting...She followed our advice to sincerely chant for her sister-in-law's happiness. Sincerely. Even though she didn't feel it at first. 
Fast forward to this year. Now "B" is pregnant. Tonight she told us that her sister-in-law and she are friends, and that she got a call today that her sister-in-law will be flying into town around labor day to host her baby shower! Complete Victory! That's what this practice is about. 


Another Experience:


When I was still fairly new to the practice I sold advertising. A LOT of advertising. And there were a lot of details that went along with placing the ad back then. You had to determine where it went, check it over and over for errors etc. There was a young girl who was in charge of physically posting the ads on the board. Let's just say she and I drove each other mutually crazy. So I followed the advice of my seniors in faith and chanted sincerely fot her happiness. It was hard at first but after a little while it was a truly sincere desire. I pictured her with a smile on her face. Guess what happened? She fell in love and moved to Los Angeles! From that time on I have ALWAYS chanted for another's happiness!


Another Experience:


At another job there was a person who disliked me the first moment she saw me. Who knows why...it was a mystery. I did the same thing. I chanted for her for quite some time, and during this time she and I slowly became friends. One day she came and told me her husband had left her. She was thrilled! She was so happy. She had wanted him to leave! From then on she was one of my biggest supporters and helped me accomplish quite a few wonderful things on this job. 


Another Experience:


Our youngest member is only 17 and started chanting almost a year ago. She is a lovely young woman, but people were picking on her....they sent her nasty texts and said bad things about her. We had a talk about chanting for the bully's happiness...and she started to chant sincerely for this person and BOOM. The bully moved away. 


It ALWAY works! Chanting for another person's happiness always works. And it strengthens your life force and YOUR character. 


The last few blogs have been on the theme of chanting to turn poisonous relationships into medicine. 
If you are interested in this subject read back a few days. And when you have an experience share it with me and I'll share it with the other readers if you wish. We all encourage each other.

Here's my experience live and in person! Listen here~!

I gave this experience this evening as encouragement for the upcoming Women's Division Victory Meetings. 
Go to SGI-USA.org to find the local victory meeting by you. 
(I know these are happening in the US, not sure about other countries!)

Click below to hear my experience from when I started this blog to now:

Voice Recorder >>

A True Victor in Life

My son, Aaron Michael Silver, has been running since he was in seventh grade. This year he is a senior in college. He has run 10 cross county seasons. His freshman year of High School he went to the state meet as an alternate in a blazing moment of glory that he assumed would be repeated year after year...but sadly, the team failed to qualify for state again while he was in High School.


In college Aaron took the University of Illinois Club Team under his wing. As President, he brought them from about 8 members to 80 members, and molded the team to be warm and close like his High School Team under the direction of the legendary coach Will Kupisch or "Kup"


This year Aaron hit paydirt...just in time. Of course, I can tell all of you that Aaron chants...and was chanted for long before he was born. One day I hope to write a book on Buddhist parenting. I am so grateful to have been able to give my children the key to accessing the power of the universe within them...a way to solve every problem and create value for themselves and others. Everything starts with prayer.


This year, as a senior, Aaron's season was going so well. Almost every meet he was setting a new personal record for time and speed.
On Saturday, at the National meet in North Carolina, with his Grandfather and Grandmother watching, he came in 5th out of about 600 young men, and his team came in FIRST. 


Imagine that...the total and complete thrill of a personal best...a personal achievement and leading your team to victory as well. The girl's team from Illinois also won...so it was a victory for them all. Aaron is going to be writing to President Ikeda to report to him.
What an wonderful example of never giving up....keeping chanting until your prayer is answered...what an incredible experience for us all.


And the day before the race, I found out some incredible news about medical school for him. His goal is to be a neurologist. I found out that the school of his choice has him in the "Yes" pile, just waiting for him to contact them and express his interest. Talk about good news....I am just filled with it these days.
And one more thing. The race happened to fall on the two year anniversary of my sweet Mommy's flight into her new life. Aaron said he could feel her...and all our support and daimoku...and he ran strong, strong, strong for the full 8k, 24:41 race!


As a parent, I don't think there is anything more satisfying than seeing your child break through all obstacles and succeed through their own prayer and determination. Aaron proved something to HIMSELF on November 12th. And no matter what happens in the future...he knows the boundless power of the law...coupled with determination and action. Aaaaahhhh....I reverently appreciate knowing and practicing the chanting of Nam Myoho Renge Kyo to access the universe within! Thank you to all who have brought this teaching to me, and especially my mentor Daisaku Ikeda, and Kate Randolph and dear friend Kathy Fisher and all my friends in faith. This is a victory for us all!!!!

Dear Vidhu and all Readers! Great Breakthrough!!!!

I got the Job!!!

And now I'm celebrating!

First of all, I got exactly the job I wanted...I was able to raise their offer by almost 5 thousand dollars and today they informed me that I would be getting the three weeks of vacation that I requested!

I start on the 28th of March!

Yaaaayyy!! Daimoku Works! It really Does!!!

AND to really celebrate, I'm doing the thing I love the absolute best in the world...I'm going on a cruise!!!

Woohoo!!!!

And, get this, I'm going ALONE!!! No more sighing because I have no one to go with! Of course none of my friends could go on this short notice.

I feel very brave, I'll tell you! Brave, bold, strong and VICTORIOUS!!!

That's what this practice is all about .... WINNING!

I VOWED that I would win...and I did.

I chanted fiercely that I would achieve this victory through my prayer because I AM A VOTARY OF THE LOTUS SUTRA and I MUST PROVE THE POWER OF THIS PRACTICE!!

Now I'm taking myself on a victory cruise!

I leave from Miami on Saturday, for very little money, and get back on Thursday. I will have sun, music, and more sun!!!

I wish all of you could come with me! Wouldn't that be fun? I'm going to ask the cruise director if I can teach classes in chanting. I ought to meet some interesting people that way! I'm not sure what they will say, but it never hurts to ask!

Thank you for chanting for me!!!

Thank you for reading my blog!!