Chanting for a Harmonious Family

PowerPrayer for a harmonious Family
By JamieLee Silver

As Nichiren Buddhists, we know that wars begin and end within our own hearts. and I know from personal experience that we sometimes turn against the ones we love when we are really stressed and challenged. But we know, we really know, that the answer lies in our determination to create a harmonious family, and to change our own, and our family's karma with our determined Daimoku. (Chanting of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo). 

I used this prayer, and chanted sincerely for a family member's happiness and totally changed years of struggle. 
If I can do it, so can you!

Daisaku Ikeda states: 

A person who respects others is respected by others in return. Those who treat others with compassion and concern are protected and supported by others. Our environment is essentially a reflection of ourselves.
From Ikedaquotes.org

Daimoku can change ANYTHING. It can change inharmonious relationships, and give us the courage and wisdom we need to make changes in our lives. 

With that in mind, I offer you the PowerPrayer for a Harmonious Family. You can read it before chanting to keep your determination fresh in your mind. We chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, the title of the Lotus Sutra and the name of the rhythm of life itself. Chanting allows us to tap into the vast resources our lives already possess, raise our life conditions and become absolutely happy...possessing the type of happiness that is not swayed by daily changes in our lives.  Chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo is the most powerful cause we can make for our lives. 

That's it! 

PowerPrayer for a Harmonious Family
by Jamie Lee Silver, chantforhappiness.com

Life!

I am Nam-myoho-renge-kyo!

I have the power to chant happiness and harmony for my whole family

With every daimoku I am picturing us happy

I am erasing years of karma with every Nam-myoho-renge-kyo

With every Daimoku I am summoning appreciation for my loved ones. I appreciate them more and more. 

For every fault, sickness, sadness, problem I see in my family ~

I chant to change this in MYSELF so that the karma of the whole family is changed! 

I am chanting happiness and harmony into my family

My prayer is enough!

I will not give up

I am tearing every bit of karma that makes any of my family members suffer - I am tearing that karma out by the roots. 

My family will never be the same. 

I will not give up!

I will have a happy family that will shine as a beacon of hope to all who are suffering. 

My chanting gives me the wisdom to communicate with composure and compassion. 

I am the Buddha!

I chant specifically for these outcomes:______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

WE ARE the Buddhas of Absolute Freedom...

I know sometimes it's hard 

for us to believe that we are Buddhas. 

But it's true. 

Check out this quote 

from the Gosho "The True Object of Worship" 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

With full understanding of Shakyamuni's teachings, 
the four men of learning said: 

"We have gained the supreme cluster of jewels 
when we least expected it. " 

They represent 
the world of Learning 
that is within ourselves. 
The Hoben chapter states: 

"At the start I pledged 
to make all people perfectly equal to me, 
without any distinction between us. 
By now the original vows that I made 
have already been fulfilled. 
I have led all the people onto the path of Buddhahood." 

The enlightened life of Shakyamuni Buddha 
is our own flesh and blood. 
His practices and resulting virtues 
are our bones and marrow. 

...Shakyamuni, Taho, and all the other Buddas in the ten directions represent the world of Buddhahood within ourselves. 

By searching them out within us, we can receive the benefits of Shakyamuni, Taho, and all the other Buddhas. This is what is meant by the following passage in Chapter ten: If one hears the Law for even a single moment, he will be able to attain perfect enlightenment." 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I intend to engrave this passage into my life. During the hour I just chanted, I focused on being able to truly understand this and feel this passage with my life...not my intellect...but deep inside my life. 

Have a great day ~ Go Buddha Go! 

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. 

Wisdom and Strength ~ Wisdom and Strength!

Chanting for wisdom and strength, 
for wisdom and strength - 
then I read this quote below today. 
I love it when my chanting and the guidance just dovetails. 
I love being in rhythm! 

I've been keeping my two hour a day daimoku campaign going...and along with that I'm working out every day and eating on a healthy plan...I feel my life changing...the ground beneath me shifting. 

I made it through Thanksgiving, my first Thanksgiving without Ben and for the most part just kept my life condition sky high. You know, dealing with grief is similar to overcoming any emotional storm. I let it out when I need to, and I soar above it with Daimoku by my determined prayer to turn poison into medicine and create value from his life and death. 

With every Daimoku I chant "I am changing my karma with this Daimoku right thus very second. THIS Daimoku. THIS Daimoku!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "In the course of his inquiry into the kind of religion that might best serve humankind's future, Dr. Toynbee became deeply interested in Mahayana Buddhism. He strongly asserted that the role religion should be to teach self-mastery, stating as one of his reasons that "to master oneself is the essence of religion as I see it, and...this precept is, I believe, the only effective response to the challenge of being human."

"Self-mastery means 
developing wisdom and strength through responding courageously 
to the challenges posed by unbridled desires 
and negative emotions 
such as hatred that arise within oneself. 
It means to overcome 
the limitations of one's present self 
to grow into a better and stronger person."

Daisaku Ikeda
From the December 2015 Living Buddhism, SGI president Ikeda's Lecture Series based on the Gosho 
"The Great Battle" - "Those With Steadfast Faith Enjoy Immeasurable Good Fortune and Benefit" 

Daimoku = Winning!

Aaron Michael Silver won the Bonfield 5K today in Downtown Downers Grove! Ben must have been with him...running, running, running! 

And all around the country Silver family members ran or walked in races for Benjamin Lee Silver.

Wonderful!

This has been a great week so far. 
In the midst of Aaron's busy schedule (he graduates medical school in the spring), we chanted several strong hours of daimoku together this week.  

And, because of chanting two hours a day, I am ENJOYING this day...I am loving it all. My prayer these days has been to Uphold the Dignity of my own life! 

It is a strong prayer, and I can feel the power surging through me as I chant and pray. Nam-myoho-renge-kyo - We ALL are dignified Buddhas in the midst of relearning our own Buddhahood...together in the SGI and with our mentor Daisaku Ikeda. We are so fortunate!

This week I had some financial karma come back, and I chanted for strength and wisdom, strength and wisdom, and was able to wisely change something negative into something positive. 

This practice is amazing. What could have been the saddest day ever is filled with joy. This practice truly is the key to living as the Buddha of Absolute Freedom! BAF! 


Chanting for all of you!

Thanksgiving Gratitude - Some proof Gratitude makes you healthy!

In the November 13, 2015 World Tribune; from Sensei, 

"By chanting Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo, 

we can create the most positive value from 

everything in our lives, 

including our strengths and weaknesses, 

joys and sorrows, and pleasures and sufferings. 

Those who chant, irrespective of their situations, 

make the sun rise steadily in the sky of their hearts 

and are able to produce a rainbow of victory."

Happy Thanksgiving! I am grateful for YOU! 

This week I had a huge professional breakthrough by chanting for strength and wisdom. 

Here is an article I'd like to share with you today, Thanksgiving in the states: 

From NPR: 

As we launch into Thanksgiving week, consider this: Research shows that feeling grateful doesn't just make you feel good. It also helps — literally helps — the heart.

A positive mental attitude is good for your heart. It fends off depression, stress and anxiety, which can increase the risk of heart disease, says Paul Mills, a professor of family medicine and public health at the University of California San Diego School of Medicine. Mills specializes in disease processes and has been researching behavior and heart health for decades. He wondered if the very specific feeling of gratitude made a difference, too.

So he did a study. He recruited 186 men and women, average age 66, who already had some damage to their heart, either through years of sustained high blood pressure or as a result of heart attack or even an infection of the heart itself. They each filled out a standard questionnaire to rate how grateful they felt for the people, places or things in their lives.

It turned out the more grateful people were, the healthier they were. "They had less depressed mood, slept better and had more energy," says Mills.

And when Mills did blood tests to measure inflammation, the body's natural response to injury, or plaque buildup in the arteries, he found lower levels among those who were grateful — an indication of better heart health.

So Mills did a small follow-up study to look even more closely at gratitude. He tested 40 patients for heart disease and noted biological indications of heart disease such as inflammation and heart rhythm. Then he asked half of the patients to keep a journal most days of the week, and write about two or three things they were grateful for. People wrote about everything, from appreciating children to being grateful for spouses, friends, pets, travel, jobs and even good food.

After two months, Mills retested all 40 patients and found health benefits for the patients who wrote in their journals. Inflammation levels were reduced, and heart rhythm improved. And when he compared their heart disease risk before and after journal writing, there was a decrease in risk after two months of writing in their journals. Those results have been submitted to a journal, but aren't yet published.

Mills isn't sure exactly how gratitude helps the heart, but he thinks it's because it reduces stress, a huge factor in heart disease.

"Taking the time to focus on what you are thankful for," he says, "letting that sense of gratitude wash over you — this helps us manage and cope."

And helps keep our hearts healthy.

The Power of Prayer by Daisaku Ikeda

Prayer by Daisaku Ikeda

Prayer is the courage to persevere. 

It is the struggle to overcome our own weakness 

and lack of confidence in ourselves. 

It is the act of impressing 

in the very depths of our being 

the conviction 

that we can change the situation without fail.

Prayers are invisible, 

but if we pray steadfastly 

they will definitely affect clear results in our lives 

and surroundings over time. 

This is the principle of the true entity of all phenomena. 

Faith means having confidence in this invisible realm.

Prayer is the way to destroy all fear. 

It is the way to banish sorrow, 

the way to light a torch of hope. 

It is the revolution 

that rewrites the scenario of our destiny.

Prayers are neither light dreams nor vague wishes. 

They should be firm pledges of determination.

Prayers made with such strong resolve 

invite clear results just as magnets attract iron.

Prayer entails an intense challenge 

to believe in oneself and stop diminishing yourself.

To belittle yourself 

is to disparage Buddhism 

and the Buddha within your life.

Prayer is an attempt 

to merge the inner workings of our life 

with the rhythm of the universe. 

When we pray in such a way, 

all the workings of the universe 

will function to protect us 

and the endless cycle of painful reality 

will be transformed 

into a cycle of victory and happiness. 

Prayer is the key to open the door 

to unleash that infinite human potential within our lives.

Prayer is not a feeble consolation; 

it is a powerful, unyielding conviction. 

And prayer must become manifest in action. 

To put it another way, 

if our prayers are in earnest, 

they will definitely give rise to action.

Daisaku Ikeda

9 Powerful Quotes to Let Our hearts Soar! by Daisaku Ikeda

When the doors of your heart are shut 

and you feel dark and isolated, 

look up to the sky and greet the clouds. 

Let the blue expanse 

open wide the window to your heart

and let in beauty and light. 

Climb upon the clouds 

and let your heart soar freely in the open air!

Freedom doesn’t mean the absence of all restrictions. It means possessing unshakable conviction in the face of any obstacle. This is true freedom.

Buddhism teaches that when we change the “single element of mind”—our fundamental way of thinking—we transform ourselves and our environment changes.

Buddhism teaches that the mind encompasses the entire universe. When we change our innermost state of mind, our whole being changes, and this affects the world in which we live. This is the teaching of the oneness of life and its environment, and the principle of a single life-moment possessing three thousand realms. Everything starts with a strong determination.

The quality of our lives ultimately depends upon our state of mind. As Milton famously wrote, “The mind is its own place, and in itself can make a Heav’n of Hell, a Hell of Heav’n.”

The human spirit is as expansive as the cosmos. This is why it is so tragic to belittle yourself or to question your worth. No matter what happens, continue to push back the boundaries of your inner life. The confidence to prevail over any problem, the strength to overcome adversity and unbounded hope—all reside within you.

My mentor would often tell me, “So much about a person can be learned from their voice.” Treasure your voice. It is a powerful force that can give courage and comfort to others. That is why we should strengthen and refine the inner core of our lives from which our voice emanates.

To lead a life in which we are inspired and can inspire others, our hearts have to be alive; they have to be filled with passion and enthusiasm. To achieve that, we need the courage to live true to ourselves. Rather than borrowing from or imitating others, we need the conviction to be able to think for ourselves and to take action out of our own sense of responsibility.

Whatever your circumstances, whatever your past, the forces that determine your future are nowhere but within your own heart and mind. It is here that the star of your destiny shines.We need to cultivate a state of life where we can thoroughly enjoy ourselves at all times. We should have such joy that even at the time of death we can declare with a happy smile: “That was wonderful! Where shall I go next?” Faith enables us to attain the kind of generous and all-embracing state of mind where we enjoy everything in our lives.

All quotes from Ikedaquotes.org

Ben's Memorial Mile

Readers of this blog know my son, Benjamin Lee Silver went on his next journey this summer. We miss him. And we are honoring him with Ben's Memorial Mile. 

I spent 8 hours of this weekend telling people about Ben's Memorial Mile, coming up on June 11th, 2016. Here I am with Aaron, Larry Lifson, a dear friend of ours, and Meg, Aaron's girlfriend. 

The race will be held at Downers Grove North High School, Downers Grove, Illinois, USA. It's much more than a race. There will be activities and events for people of all ages. There will be an elite mile for the fast runners, and there will also be events for people of all ages. My favorite is the race for little ones where they can "run" as any animal they want to be. That is totally "Benish" - he would love it. There will be walks for people like me :), and sponsorship tables of all kinds...

It was fun promoting this race this weekend. We saw people we haven't seen in years, and we met many people who knew Ben, or had heard about him. We're raising money for Schizophrenia research, cure, and help. There's a Facebook page "Ben's Memorial Mile." 

If you are considering joining us please let me know at chantforhappiness@gmail.com.
Tomorrow is Ben's Birthday. He would have been 23, on November 23rd. 
it's a good thing I've been chanting two hours a day....

All my best to you. 

How to Vanquish Recurring Karma

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Strength is Happiness. 
Strength is itself victory. 
In weakness and cowardice there is no happiness. 
When you wage a struggle, 
you might win or you might lose. 
But regardless of the short-term outcome, 
the very fact of your continuing to struggle 
is proof of your victory as a human being. 
A strong spirit, strong faith and strong prayer - 
developing these is victory 
and the world of Buddhahood."

Daisaku Ikeda, For Today and Tomorrow, page 50 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We all have it. That karmic pattern that we've chanted to end forever...and somehow, it ends for a bit then resurfaces in a different time and place. 

For some people it's a financial challenge, for others it might be within relationships, but at the core of it all, it's OUR karma and we need to keep our determination to change it. And for me, it usually involves some kind of courageous conversation, and drawing some resource from within my own life using wisdom to overcome, not cower from it. 

I picture our lives and karma like a spiral going upwards, and as I come around a bend, the karma resurfaces in some way...and it's up to me once again to write the story of my life. 

At the Gosho study meeting the other day, the leader said: "Whenever I encounter a trouble I remind myself I WRITE THE STORY OF MY LIFE. I'm the protagonist and the author. I'm sure I wrote a happy ending!" I loved that. It made me laugh! Of course, I made a happy ending. And right here, right now...I am building that happiness.

I just had a resurfacing of some karma involving greed on another's part. This time, because I am challenging my life in a new way, and I have been chanting two hours a day already, my life can rise to greet it and challenge it in a different way. I am also walking on my treadmill, eating well and using my strength training bands, so my BODY is stronger and healthier. THIS time, THIS time, the outcome will be different...will be right...will be true to myself, my new self of strength that I am building every day. 

So my first response was to chant two hours of daimoku "as if to make fire from wet logs." I chanted, and in my mind I hollered at the Shoten Zenjin "No Way! This time I will win over this karma forever!" And I'm about to start another two hours right now. I'm telling my life to open up in unexpected ways...assured that all kinds of good things are in store! 

And I'm chanting to find the right words for everything. I'm writing my speaker one-sheet, and defining just what it is I do for my audiences. After three speeches in three days, I am so energized! After yesterday's speech, one of the people came up to me and said: "You kept my attention the whole time! No speech ever keeps my attention!" and another woman told me she was going to use all the ideas I presented, and change her outlook forever. My speech focuses on our CHOICE to use words that make us happy. 

Right now it's snowing here in Chicago. It's pretty and my view is awesome. I'm grateful to park indoors. 

I'll be spending the day at an event promoting Ben's Memorial Mile. We are creating an event to honor Ben's life, bring the community together, and raise money for a cure for Schizophrenia. It's June 11th in Downers Grove Illinois. You are all invited! There will be races for all age groups of varying lengths. The last time I was at an event honoring Ben it was very hard for me...I'm going to chant about that too. STRENGTH! 

3 Ways to Become the Buddha of Absolute Freedom Today!!! Happy 85th Birthday SGI!

Happy Soka Gakkai Day! 

It's November 18th, The Soka Gakkai's 85th Birthday! There are many places you can go to read about November 18th's significance ~  sgi-usa.org is one of them. The history of the Gakkai is rich and inspiring. 

Three Ways to become the Buddha of Absolute Happiness!

1. Write your goals right now. Write them in any format you like. I write a narrative in present tense describing my life exactly as I want it. This is powerful. Our written words are important. Date your list! Dream big as my mento Amos says "You're a Buddha - Dream Big!"

2. Chant about anything you want to change. Stop thinking things are impossible or you are undeserving. Nam-myoho-renge-kyo is the power of the entire universe...when you chant you are tapping into a power that we haven't even begun to fathom. We know belief is part of it, and we also know it works without belief. Go for it. What do you really want to change. 

3. Tell others of your successes and Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. You are the Buddha of Absolute Happiness!!!! 

Today in the short time I have to write this blog I am going to answer a question I am receiving by email often. What do the Nam-myoho-renge-kyo cards I hand out look like? These are what I designed. I have them printed up at Staples. 
You can make your own or use the SGI's cards. I share this with you because I was asked!

Chant: Nam-myoho-renge-kyo

(Nahm Meeyooho Raingay Keyo)

To be happier than you ever imagined possible!

ChantforHappiness.com

Your blog for daily encouragement

Jamie Lee Silver

email: ChantforHappiness.com

630-926-3001, SGI-USA.org

Of course actual card looks a little different, but this is what I use. I also carry the SGI designed cards that don't have my telephone number on them just in case. My cards are white and I can write on the back easily - so I write the closest culture center to wherever I am when I give it out. I hope this helps!

Look ! A New SGI Member Through Finding this Blog! Thanks for all your shares!

Dear Jamie,

Two years back this time I had contacted you for the first time.
I have always felt connected to you. I don't miss a single blog of yours.

You had encouraged me to join SGI through emails and mainly through your blog.

This year I finally had joined SGI not knowing how beautiful this journey would be. I am very proud to let you know, in the event of 85th anniversary of Sokka Gakai, I received The Gohonzon during our District meeting today.

Feeling extremely blessed and grateful. I am grateful to you for encouraging me to join SGI although we have never met.

Regards,

Malobee (from Canada)

Everything is the Answer to Our Prayers

(You can subscribe to this blog my putting your email in the box to the right)

"While controlling your mind, 
which is at once both extremely subtle 
and solemnly profound, 
you should strive 
to elevate your faith with freshness and vigor. 
When you do so, 
both your life and your surroundings 
will open wide before you 
and every action you take 
will become a source of benefit. 
Understanding the subtle workings of one's mind 
is the key to faith and attaining Buddhahood in this lifetime." 

Daisaku Ikeda, For Today and Tomorrow, page 95. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Well, if you read yesterday's blog you know I chanted like the house was on fire on Sunday. I chanted deep, heartfelt Daimoku that THIS MOMENT I was changing my karma through THIS Daimoku. Two hours. Powerful stuff. 

When we chant powerful Daimoku, or do a toso (extended chanting session) sometimes what we get immediately following isn't exactly what we expect. We might expect the skies to open and our benefit to fall straight into our arms. But it isn't always like that. 

The key for me is to recognize WHATEVER HAPPENS as a benefit. 

On Sunday night after this powerful Daimoku, I did not feel well. During the night, I had a dream where I saw Ben as a young child and was crying out "my baby, my baby!" I woke up not feeling well and weeping. (If you are new to this blog you can go back to the July 4, 2015 post and read it, and the days that follow) 

Instead of thinking "Oh no...this Daimoku clearly did not work," I thought,"Even THIS could be the answer to my prayers. I haven't cried in a while...maybe it's time to process some grief."

I took the day to cry. We may be Buddhas, but we are still human beings, and we still feel pain, just like Nichiren Daishonin did. And my philosophy is to feel what I feel. (Unless of course I am in the middle of a presentation or it is not an appropriate moment...we have to use common sense.)

I believe that if I run from my sadness, closing it up tight every time I feel it, I will not be able to ever let it out, and heal. I feel (but cannot prove) that closing off these emotions might lead to disease.  And it was my great benefit that I did not have anything pressing I had to do. I decided to let my sadness flow...and such sweet sadness it was. 

I took out all of the letters I got this summer, many of them from YOU, all over the world, and I read them, and felt all the love, compassion and feeling from each of the words in the cards...and I cried until there were no more tears left for that day. Then I stopped, refreshed, wrote in my journal, and made some calls. 

Today, my heart is light, and I am ready for this exciting week where I have four presentations in three days. I'm presenting "Growing older, Bolder, BETTER!" at the Downers Grove, Illinois Library on Thursday night at 7:00. Call and reserve a space if you're close and want to attend. 

Tomorrow is November 18th, Ben's 100th day. Please join me in Daimoku for his brilliant, sparkling life. I see him being reborn soon, without the troubles of this life...with a Gohonzon in his home...and having a blast as a youth in 2030...full of hope, inspiration, perseverance and mirth! 

Yesterday I got an email from someone in Canada who found out about chanting from this blog and joined the SGI this week! Isn't that wonderful! It fills my heart with joy!

My address is 17w702 Butterfield #104, Oakbrook Terrace, IL 60181 and my email is chantforhappiness@gmail.com