The Heart of the Lotus Sutra ~ We are the Buddhas of Absolute Happiness

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I've been reading the Lotus Sutra every day lately. I'm rereading the incredible book by Daisaku Ikeda "The Heart of the Lotus Sutra," and also the translation in the back of the Gongyo book we recite each day. And it's fascinating me. 

We are Buddhas, we are all Buddhas. This is the message of the Buddha. This is the message of Nichiren Daishonin and Daisaku Ikeda. 

And we access our Buddhahood by chanting the name of the Mystic Law inherent in our lives...Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. 

We have heard this time and again, and part of the reason we chant is to bring forth this feeling, this conviction, this knowing with our own lives. We are spending our lives exploring what it means to be a Buddha. 

So, it says at the back of the Gongyo book:

'Since I attained Buddhahood

the number of kalpas that have passed

is an immeasurable hundreds, 

thousands, ten thousands, 

millions, trillions, asamkhyas. 

Constantly I have preached the law, 

teaching, converting 

countless millions of living beings, 

causing them to enter the Buddha way, 

all this for immeasurable kalpas. 

In order to save living beings, 

as an expedient means I appear to enter nirvana

but in truth I do not pass into extinction. 

I am always here, preaching the law. 

I am always here, 

but through my transcendental powers

I make it so that living beings in their befuddlement

do not see me even when close by." 

The Liturgy of the Soka Gakkai International, page 22

If WE are the Buddha, as we know we are...this passage is further proof that we are eternal...that we are each eternal. 

We are the Buddha. Ben is the Buddha. We are all the Buddha, in the process of revealing this to ourselves. 

This morning I chanted two hours when I first woke up, and feel so grounded and centered after communing with my highest and best self. 

We are so fortunate to have this altar, this practice, and this Gohonzon to center our thoughts and focus our appreciation and desires. 

I am chanting for every door to open to me...for all I need to be shown to me...to change from the inside out, and accept all the good that is coming to me. I am chanting to be more useful for kosen-rufu than I HAVE EVER BEEN...that this year I (and all of us Boddhisatvas) truly, happily, joyously expand our lives...expand our happiness...expand our capabilities  ~ while welcoming in person after person who wants to join us in this lovely, beautiful dance of joy! 

Nam-myoho--renge-kyo!

Life is Eternal ~ Letters from Ben Part Two

Oh my goodness! Did you see today's Gosho quote?

"The sutra states, 
"If there are those who hear the law, 
then not one will fail to attain Buddhahood." 
This means that, 
even if one were to point at the earth and miss it, 
even if the sun and moon should fall to the ground, 
even if an age should come 
when the tides cease to ebb and flow, 
or even if flowers should not turn to fruit in summer, 
it could never happen 
that a woman who chants Nam-myoho-renge-kyo 
would fail to be reunited with her beloved child. 
Continue in your devotion to faith, 
and bring this about quickly!"

(Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, Volume 1, page 1092)
The Gift of Clear Sake
Written to the lay nun Ueno on January 13, 1281

And I answer Nichiren Daishonin "YES!" 
I am reunited with my beloved, eternal child. 
And I can teach anyone how to connect with their loved ones as well, and how to chant the Mystic Law. 
I have been chanting for a clear path, for certainty, and for me to be aware of the doors opening so I can step right on through. Thank you!
I am collecting quotes in Buddhism that support eternal life and the naturalness of this type of communication. Do you have any to share with me? Write me at chantforhappiness@gmail.com

In light of this, I'd like to share another exchange between me and my Ben. For those new to this site, Ben "died" (I hate to use that word. Yes, he did die as we commonly understand it, but he is alive in spirit. Do you have any suggestions of words or expressions I could use instead of that one?) on July 2nd, 2015 when he was 22. He had been suffering from Schizophrenia for almost 3 years. 

On 7/23/15 I wrote:

Dearest boy, 
how I miss you, 
yet how grateful I am that your suffering is over. 
Do you have any words for me, 
heart of my heart...dear child of mine?

And As I was writing the above words, I could already hear his words coming into my brain - and I kept my pen to the paper and I wrote:  

My son Aaron is on the left, Ben is on the right

Mom, 

It is not over, our love goes on

Nothing can keep us apart. 

Not time

Not space

Not death

Not even death. 

We are together forever and ever. 

Even if it looks like I am gone

I am not

I am right here

beside you

smiling at you

With my arms around you

and you know, seeing my smile, 

you know that this lifetime is not all, 

is not it, is not over. 

We will live on

We do live on

We will always live on

You, me, in every incarnation

Laughing, loving, with our hearts smiling. 

This lifetime, this last one, 

I got sick. 

I got so sick. 

But next one? Watch out!

We will be born together 

and all that negative karma will be gone

Poof. Gone. 

And we will share, share, share 

and bask, bask, bask

bask, bask, bask

in the light of our love. 

Your Forever Ben

What is True Success in Life?

The sun is always there - but we can't always see it! 

I've been riding on a high for these last few days, feeling the flow and momentum of the new year, and the excitement of a fun weekend and BOOM, we are hit with freezing cold weather, and I have a speech tomorrow, and suddenly some of the sadness and hopelessness resurfaces...

But, thankfully, my friend in faith came over and we chanted about 45 minutes. Part of that daimoku was "wondering Daimoku." That's what I call the type of chanting where you are not really praying, but just rolling ideas around in your head. I don't like it when I do this, but it is not a reason to stop...it's more a reason to keep going until I break out of it. By the end, I felt more rejuvenated and I'm going to bed early to wake up early for my speech. 

Once again, the importance of having friends in faith, and in never giving up, is crucial. I hope you all have friends in faith, and if you don't - it's a great goal to chant about!

Here are two of my favorite quotes:  

"What is success in life? 
Who are the truly successful? 
There are famous and powerful people 
who become pitiful figures in their old age. 
There are people who die alone, 
feeling empty and desolate. 
Just what is success? 
The English thinker Walter Pater (1839-94) wrote:
"To burn always with this hard, gemlike flame, to maintain this ecstasy, is success in life."

The person who lives life fully, glowing with life's energy, is the person who lives a successful life."



"Such things as money, fame and material possessions 
offer fleeting satisfaction 
that can be called relative happiness. 
However, when we transform our lives internally, 
when we develop within ourselves a brilliant inner palace, then we can be said 
to have established absolute happiness."

Daisaku Ikeda

Faith into Action, page 56

Life is Eternal - Communicating With Eternal Lives is Natural!

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Dear readers, I first posted this a few days ago, and took it down when someone wrote in criticizing me. I'm very thankful for that person, because when I took it down I heard from some amazing people requesting I re-post it. We are now in communication about this subject. So now, I am summoning up my courage and posting it again. 

You see, I don't think it is strange to be communicating with someone I deeply love, (and whose life IS eternal) even though they have left their physical body. To me, it is very natural to be writing to Ben and have his words flow through my head and hand  ~ so he can write back to me. And I think the knowledge of how to do this could help many people. 

Is this Buddhism? Well, doesn't Daisaku Ikeda talk about dialoguing every day with Josei Toda? Is this any different? I "hear" best through writing. So that is what I do. I'm going to spend some time looking up quotes in the Gosho and by Daisaku Ikeda that relate to communicating with eternal lives. 

As always, this blog is about chanting for happiness. It is not an official SGI publication. It is what I write from my heart to share the benefits of this practice. Continuing to communicate with my beloved Ben, who has been "gone" just six months, is a HUGE benefit! Read on. And thanks for writing in! 

The last three years strengthened my life and my practice. Now I am ready to soar.
As many of you know, my son came down with an illness of the brain. Schizophrenia. And I fought with all my life, with all my practice, and with every breath, to save his life. And although I did not save his earthly life, I have learned the true eternity of life. And I have something new to share with people who have lost loved ones and are still suffering. We are still connected to our loved ones, and we can communicate in writing. 

From the moment Ben left his physical body, there was a gorgeous white egret swooping down to the pond by my patio. I felt it was Ben, my boy, coming to say "Mom! Look, I am free! I am free of this horrible brain disease! I am self-sufficient and I am free." And I dreamed of him, with a huge smile on his face, arms outstretched to dance with me. 

And, on the Friday after his life celebration, I wrote to him and asked if he was right here and if he had any words for me.

I am not psychic. I am not special. I am open. 

Several years ago, I lost some dear friends and communicate with them using automatic writing. I have told many people about this, and everyone who has tried it is amazed that it's so easy. 

The process is simple. All I do is write to him, ask if he has words for me, and keep my pen on the paper. Before I have even written my whole letter to him I hear his words coming to me. I keep my pen on the paper, and just write what I hear. 

Below is our first exchange. I write anytime I want. He always writes back. 

Dear Ben, 

Soaring above us all

free and flying

you got your way

you ended your torturous road

you are released,

you are released.

And now, you will have all of us chanting for you

as your mission continues, 

right here, 

right now, forever. 

Oh Ben, 

Write through me

laugh through me

live your happiness all around me. 

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

Ben, maybe you’re sitting right next to me on this Friday ~ 

right here by the pool. 

What do you have to say? 

Mom, 

I did it. 

I meant to do it. 

~ at the time ~ 

and I knew it would make you sad, 

but somehow I still had to do it. 

I had to obey my mind, my legs, my feet, 

my incredible surge of strength and courage. 

I could not say no. 

It had to happen. 

And this story is not yet written, is not yet told ~

but will be. 

My life and death HAVE meaning~ 

Not HAD. 

Dearest Mom, my closest friend, don’t despair. 

I know you, 

                 you, 

                     you

will create a life of meaning, of love, 

of warmth and creativity. 

Together we will live on

Together we will always live on

Enjoy the sun

              Enjoy this day

                           Enjoy your life. 

                      

Your Ben

Nam-myoho-renge-kyo to you, my friends. I hope the New year has been a fresh start for you. 

The Profound Eternity of Life

Buddhist Concepts – Wisdom....

A Buddha is characterized as a person of profound wisdom. The idea of wisdom is core to Buddhism.  But wisdom can be a vague and elusive concept, hard to define and harder to find.  How does one become wise?  Is wisdom something that we can actively develop, or must we merely wait to grow wiser as we grow older?  Perhaps it is because wisdom is such an indistinct concept that it has lost value as a relevant ideal in modern society, which has instead come to place great store in information and the attainment of knowledge.

Josei Toda, second president of the Soka Gakkai, characterized the confusion between knowledge and wisdom as one of the major failings of modern society.

His critique is starkly demonstrated in the astonishing progress of technology in the last century. While scientific and technological development has shown only a mixed record of alleviating human suffering, it has triumphed remarkably in its ability and efficiency in unleashing death and destruction.

Toda likened the relationship between knowledge and wisdom to that between a pump and water. A pump that does not bring forth water (knowledge without wisdom) is of little use.

This is not to deny the importance of knowledge. But knowledge can be utilized to generate both extreme destructiveness and profound good.

Wisdom is that which directs knowledge toward good--toward the creation of value.

Buddhist teachings, such as the concept of the five kinds of wisdom, describe and analyze in detail the dynamics of wisdom and how it manifests at different levels of our consciousness.

When wisdom is functioning in our life, it has the effect of enabling us to overcome the ingrained perspectives of our habitual thinking and arrive at a fresh and holistic view of a given situation. We are able to make a broad assessment of facts, perceive the essence of an issue and steer a sure course toward happiness.

Buddhism also likens wisdom to a clear mirror that perfectly reflects reality as it is. What is reflected in this mirror of wisdom is the interrelatedness and interdependence of our life with all other life. This wisdom dispels our delusions of separateness and awakens in us a sense of empathetic equality with all living things.

The term "Buddha" describes a person who freely manifests this inherent wisdom. And what causes this wisdom to well forth in our lives is compassion.

Buddhism sees the universe, and life itself, as an embodiment of compassion--the interweaving of the "threads" of interdependent phenomena, giving rise to and nurturing life in all its wonderful and varied manifestations.

It teaches that the purpose of human life is to be an active participant in the compassionate workings of the universe, enriching and enhancing life's creative dynamism.

Therefore, it is when we act with compassion that our life is brought into accord with the universal life force and we manifest our inherent wisdom. The action of encouraging and sharing hope with others awakens us to a larger, freer identity beyond the narrow confines of our ego. Wisdom and compassion are thus inseparable.

Central to Buddhist practice is self-mastery, the effort to "become the master of one's mind.  "This idea implies that the more profoundly we strive to develop an altruistic spirit, the more the wisdom of the Buddha is aroused within us and the more powerfully we can, in turn, direct all things--our knowledge, our talents and the unique particularities of our character--to the end of creating happiness for ourselves and others.

Speaking at Tribhuvan University in Nepal in 1995, SGI President Daisaku Ikeda commented, "To be master of one's mind means to cultivate the wisdom that resides in the inner recesses of our lives, and which wells forth in inexhaustible profusion only when we are moved by a compassionate determination to serve humankind, to serve people."

If human history is to change and be redirected from division and conflict toward peace and an underlying ethic of respect for the sanctity of all life, it is human beings themselves who must change. The Buddhist understanding of compassionate wisdom can serve as a powerful basis for such a transformation.

[ Courtesy January 2003 SGI Quarterly]

3 Benefits of Consistent Practice and 4 Ways to Establish it!

Welcome to the Year of Expansion in the New Era of Worldwide Kosen Rufu. We are each expanding our own lives this year. How will we meet this great and noble challenge? 

I've been receiving emails from readers who have many challenges, and are not chanting consistently, and I think "If only they knew what a joy it is to practice consistently...many problems just fade away!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Living in the saha world, it is impossible to stop the winds of suffering from blowing. Our only alternative is to become strong. 
Daisaku Ikeda, August Living Buddhism, page 50

"The Japanese word forr fellow member, or comrad (doshi) can also be read as "shared resolve," or commitment. The SGI is a gathering of fellow members, comrades in faith, who share the same resolve and purpose. 
..."SGI members, dedicated to the earnest resolve of helping all people, are the treasures of the world. SGI members, with the resolve to realize peace, are the treasures of humanity. The expansion of our network of shared resolve will change the planet into a beautiful treasure realm." 
Daisaku Ikeda, September 2015 Living Buddhism, page 39

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

Always remember how noble and important you are!

How do we become strong? By strengthening our resolve, and our practice. 

When we do our practice every morning and evening our problems get smaller because we raise our life condition. 

We can each picture our problems as a big wall in front of us. When we practice consistently our life condition rises, just as if we are a big balloon rising to the sky. What looked like an insurmountable wall is now a tiny little ridge - way below us. We can step right over it. 

How can we establish and maintain a consistent practice? 

How can we reinforce our determination to practice twice a day every day, strengthen our lives and create unshakable benefit? 

3 benefits of consistent practice 
(Doing morning and evening gongyo and chanting daimoku consistently) 

1. It's easier. Once you establish the practice you just greet your life twice a day in front of the Gohonzon without having to force yourself to do it. It just becomes part of your life. 

2. Benefits flow more consistently, 

3. It WORKS! You change your karma, embrace your challenges and win over any challenge you face. You get what you want and so much more. 

4 Dynamic ways 
to establish a consistent practice

1. Determine that you want to use this practice to the best of your ability! Chanting consistently means winning the battle over your lesser self. Make your list of determinations and goals.  What have you decided is impossible in your life? We chant to make the impossible possible. Go for it. 

2. Embrace your friends in the SGI. (You can click on the SGI Portal to the right to find your local SGI, if you're not connected yet. Remember there are no dues or rules or priests. The SGI is an organization of people working together for their own happiness and the sake of others.) 

3. Establish a "Chanting Buddy" to chant with you.
Our friends in the SGI are our friends in faith. When I was first chanting 28 years ago my mentor came to my house every morning for a few weeks to help me generate Activation Energy for my practice.

4. Establish a Tele-Toso Chanting Buddy
If you can't chant together in person you can do it by telephone, or by text. Just establish a time and contact each other before and after. If you want, you can keep the telephone connection while you chant. (It's better if one person turns the volume down.) Or you can just call or text before and after. 

An Experience in Chanting Consistently: 

Chanting consistently must be experienced to be understood. 
My dear "Baby Buddha" (the nickname she chose for herself) heard me tell her for two years to chant every morning and evening, and she replied that she doesn't do ANYTHING consistently and wasn't going to do this. No way. I kept chanting for her and inviting her to chant. And one day, she just made the decision to try chanting twice a day to see how it felt. She couldn't believe how different she felt. She also realized a deep desire and began to chant for it to happen. Now she lives in Colorado - she got what she was chanting for! THIS is why we practice. Our desires are worth chanting for! 

You may have other ways of creating and maintaining your consistent practice. Please share them with me and I'll share them with the other readers of this blog. Email me at chantforhappiness.com with your ideas, questions, suggestions, victories and challenges. 

4 Ways to Strengthen our Muscle of Gratitude - the Real Key to Happiness!

Daisaku Ikeda writes in Faith into Action, page 7 (under Appreciation)
"To "enjoy what there is to enjoy" means to cause the "mystic lotus of the heart" to blossom brightly with a sense of appreciation and joy. Someone who can find joy, who can feel appreciation, experiences a snowballing exhilaration and joy in life. Such is the heart's function."

How can we do this? Try this!  

4 Tips for More Appreciation in Our Lives! 

Gratitude is attitude. It starts with US. It is a muscle we can build. And once we build it....ahhh the benefits that begin to flow! 

Tip #1
List Ten Things
Before we get out of bed think about ten things we are grateful for that very day. They can be ANYTHING. We can be grateful for sight, hearing, feeling. We can be grateful to be alive...grateful to have woken up! I've mentioned before that when my Mom was feeling depressed I gave her this tip, and her depression lifted. She told me it was this one action that changed her life. 

Tip #2
SMILE! 
Smiling is a cause not an affect. 
The more we smile, 
the more reasons we will have to smile!
Make your smile light your day. 

I like to think of the song by Carol King:

You've got to get up every morning

And show the world

All the love in your heart!

When we smile, we physically create happiness hormones. There have been studies done recently about this. Also, when we smile at another person, they automatically feel better...their brain registers happiness even if they do not smile back at us. Isn't that cool? Smile! 

Tip #3
Write a Rampage of Appreciation
Take a notebook and put titles as the top of each page. Titles could be:
My body
My work
My relationship with _______
My parents
My children
My home
My car
My self
My practice
My________
...and on and on...you get the idea. 

Then list all the things you are grateful for under each heading...or all the things you COULD BE grateful for. 


Tip #4 
Chant in Gratitude
While chanting  ~ generate these feelings of gratitude and happiness. Our gratitude will amplify and spread.

What do you do to build the muscle of appreciation into your life? Write me at chantforhappiness@gmail.com