11 Quotes by Daisaku Ikeda on Breaking Through That Wall!

All quotes from Ikedaquotes.org by Daisaku Ikeda:

Rather than becoming discouraged, know that encountering a wall is proof of the progress that you have made so far.

Anyone can hit a wall. The anguish felt then is proof of one’s desire to move forward. But all is for naught if you falter at that moment. Action—that is the key to breaking through an impasse.

There is a saying that the earth upon which we fall is the same ground which enables us to push ourselves up again. There’s another which maintains that barley grows better after it has been trampled on. It is up to us to decide to live a life free from self-doubt and despair in spite of our failures. Indeed, it is during our most humbling moments that we should show greatest poise and grace.

When facing adversity, we may think we’ve reached our limit, but actually the more trying the circumstances, the closer we are to making a breakthrough. The darker the night, the nearer the dawn. Victory in life is decided by that last concentrated burst of energy filled with the resolve to win.

We are not defeated by adversity but by the loss of the will to strive. However devastated you may feel, so long as you have the will to fight on, you can surely triumph.

Just as physical training can bring forth the unseen capacities of our bodies and intellectual training develops our minds, our hearts can be trained and strengthened. Through the process of overcoming grief, for example, it is possible for us to see beyond our own suffering to develop a more expansive and robust sense of self. This experience can inspire us to care for others who feel the same pain.

Just as the pure white lotus flower blooms unsoiled in muddy water, our lives, which are supremely noble, can continue to shine even amid life’s harshest realities.

Reality is harsh. It can be cruel and ugly. Yet no matter how much we grieve over our environment and circumstances nothing will change. What is important is not to be defeated, to forge ahead bravely. If we do this, a path will open before us.

Suffering only gets worse when we try to run from it rather than facing it.

A person’s true nature is revealed at times of the greatest adversity.

It’s important to have the courage to ask yourself what it is that you should be doing now, at this very moment.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~All quotes are by Daisaku Ikeda from Ikedaquotes.org 

And from Jamie: 

Let's not give up! No matter what! My life is filled with challenges, just like yours. But every time we bravely face our own lives...every time we open that Butsudan (box that houses our Gohonzon), every time we look at the Gohonzon and Chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo we are making a step forward. We are making a profound cause. We are facing our own troubles and finding our way around those walls! 

And when we do this twice a day our lives get "on a roll!" 

Join me as we strengthen our muscles of faith!

When A Problem Persists ~ Compassion for Ourselves!

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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This blog is written by a 31-year practitioner of Nichiren Daishonin's Buddhism. This practice enables us to turn EVERY problem into medicine ~ while encouraging others through our own lives - and uplifting us all.  

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! 

There is Light at the End of EVERY Tunnel! YOU are that light!

"You can now subscribe to this blog by putting your email in the box to the right."

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"There is no way of life more desolate or more pitiful 
then one of ignorance of the fundamental joy
that issues from the struggle 
to generate and regenerate one's own life from within. 
To be human is much more 
than the biological facts of standing erect 
and exercising reasoning and intelligence. 
The full and genuine meaning of our humanity 
is found in tapping the creative fonts of life itself."

Daisaku Ikeda, Buddhism Day by Day, Wisdom for Modern Life, page 67

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Whatever you do - just don't give up! 

I just updated this blog title because reader Brian Mann reminded me that WE are the lights in the tunnel. Of course! Thank you Brian!

These last couple of months have been so challenging for me. I've been sad about my son, restless about my life, and, above all, longing for the sunshine. There have been days where I've thought "What can I tell my precious blog readers? I am having a hard time seeing the hope in my life - how can I help them?" 

And then, because I kept up my practice, kept studying, introducing others, and deepening my prayer, I cracked opened the power within my life, I am witnessing a new sun starting to shine within my life and in my environment. 

It is just as Daisaku Ikeda says over and over. A new day will dawn. Just don't give up!

As I was going through this darkness I bolstered myself by thinking "Jamie, you are going to have so much more compassion for people who are suffering, because of this. There will be a light at the end of the tunnel even though you can't see it. Now you've experienced loneliness, you've experienced grieving, you've written poem after poem and opened your heart in a new way...one day you will appreciate this, even this, dark time." 

And I kept in mind something a leader said recently: "YOU wrote the story of your life, and for sure, you write it every day. You've got to know you wrote a happy ending!" 

And it's the truth. And, as my friend Mark Lutnes just reminded me, "It's not just the ending that's happy!" 

Today the sun is shining. Yesterday it came out for a while, but so did 70 mile per hour winds. Woosh! 

I have, as always a full schedule. I'm working hard on Ben's Memorial Mile which will be held her in Downers Grove, Illinois, at Downers Grove North High School, about 25 miles west of Chicago on June 11th, 2016. It will bring the community together to honor Ben's life, raise money to end schizophrenia, and provide runs, walks and a really fun time for all ages. You are invited! Come one, come all!

And I'm heading down to the Florida Keys for a few days next weekend. I've always wanted to visit the keys. I love the peninsulas of this world (although the keys are actually islands, connected to Florida by long bridges) ....San Francisco, Provincetown...they attract artists and music and people who do not conform to the rest of the world, but make the world their own. I'd wanted to go, and suddenly some doors opened and I just stepped right through them. 

Whatever you are going through - JUST KEEP GOING and you will get to the other side! 

PowerPrayer for Happiness to FLOW!

"Life contains the capacity, like flames that reach toward heaven, to transform suffering and pain into the energy needed for value creation, into light that illuminates  darkness. Like the wind traversing the vast spaces unhindered, life has the power to uproot and overturn all obstacles and difficulties. Like clear flowing water, it can wash away all stains and impurities. And, finally, life, like the great earth that sustains vegetation, impartially protects all people with its compassionate, nurturing force." 

Daisaku Ikeda, Buddhism Day by Day, page 64

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Ok, I am just determined to end this suffering! Winter does me in...the endlessly low grey skies of Chicago....OOF!

So, I was able, through this new chiropractic work I'm getting, to start walking on my treadmill again. And I'm eating more healthy. This affects me immediately. It was my Valentine's Day gift to myself. 

Last night I booked a much needed trip to the sun - because the doors opened in a really cool way! 

AND, my prayer right now, from the depths of my heart, is openness...essentially non-attachment. A kind of surrender. As I chant my hour in the morning, with my phone in the other room, I have this PowerPrayer in my heart - not all my challenges - not all the things I have to solve:

PowerPrayer for Happiness to FLOW ! 
By Jamie Lee Silver Chantforhappiness.com

"Right now I draw all the wisdom of life through me. Gohonzon, my life, 
we already know my deepest desires! 
Right now I draw forth the wisdom I already possess. 
I draw forth that wisdom for my own happiness...
because I know MY happiness 
makes a difference in the world. 
This Daimoku IS the cause, 
And leads me to make the right causes
And bring forth the wisdom
and ACT on that wisdom 
so my life can flow with kosen rufu power for all!
All the right doors open now, 
and I joyfully step through them! "

Taking it One Step at a Time

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Have you ever felt that there's just too much on your plate? 

Too many decisions to make, too much to do...and you just feel stuck, and barely even remember how to chant? Well, I can relate! I know some of you feel this way because you write me and ask "Where do I start? How can I accomplish X?" 

So this morning, as I was talking to my life in the wonderful ceremony we do every morning...our "trueing ceremony" of gongyo, our recitation of the Lotus Sutra, I battled again with too much in my mind...and then a total blank...not really knowing where to start...and I just kept chanting. 

Even though I was thinking "this isn't very organized thought" (which is self-slander!) I kept chanting, and I felt this ease come over me. I changed focus from trying to solve ALL my problems at once, and figure EVERYTHING out TODAY, and I just started chanting to be present, to make good decisions, to have wisdom in every moment today, and to take it one step at a time... 

So, after this morning's gongyo, I feel refreshed. Calm. Taking it a step at a time. 

And for all of you who write me and say "I don't know how to get started chanting again." or "I'm finding it almost impossible to chant." I can tell you to just keep going. Don't slander yourself or get down on yourself. Sit in front of the Gohonzon, your precious life, and say "I am breaking through. I will complete the time I promised myself I would chant. I will just keep going." And, as Daisaku Ikeda says: Don't Give Up! 

5 Keys to Make Your Gongyo and Your Life Sparkle!

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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

"Launch Yourself On Every Wave!"

"Henry David Thoreau, 
a renowned Renaissance thinker, 
wrote in his journal: 

"Nothing must be postponed. 
Take time by the forelock. 
Now or never! 
You must live in the present, 
launch yourself on every wave, 
find your eternity in each moment." 

We shouldn't put anything off but seize the moment, 
living with all our being in the present. 
If we do that, he says, 
each moment will become eternity."

Daisaku Ikeda
Buddhism Day by Day, page 59. 

3 Steps to Communicating with Your Eternal Loved Ones

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This blog is about Buddhism...it is about the power each one of us has to be happy, and to make the world a happy place, full of respect for all of life. This form of Buddhism is absolutely unique. It's based on the Lotus Sutra by Shakyamuni Buddha, and the letters of Nichiren Daishonin.  When we chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo we aim our lives in the direction of our own happiness. Do not take my word for it. Try it. Chant every day, morning and evening for at least 100 days. Go to SGI meetings (see the link to the right), study the Gosho. And KNOW that when you chant, you are chanting TO your life itself...not to a God...TO your life! 

This blog post is written in response to a previous post. It is not about Buddhism per se. However, according to Buddhism, life is eternal. So what I write here makes sense. 

A few weeks ago I shared that when I write to my son Ben - who is no longer here in his physical body, but is here as his eternal soul - when I write to him I keep the pen on the paper and he writes back to me. 

You asked me to explain how I write to Ben 

and have him write back to me - here is how it's done! 

3 Steps to Communicating with Your Eternal Loved Ones ~ 
By Jamie Lee Silver chantforhappiness.com. Please reference this blog while sharing


Writing to your loved one and having them write back though your own hand is natural.
It doesn't take psychic ability. 
It takes the belief that it is possible, 
and the willingness to give it a try. 

I believe life is eternal. Our loved ones are not "gone," even if physically, yes, they are no longer with us. And we can form a new relationship with them right now. 

Step One:

Choose a free flowing pen, and smooth paper. You want to let your hand flow. 

Step Two:

Write a heart felt letter to your loved one. Use your favorite nicknames for them. Pour your heart out. Write your beautiful words. Let your pen flow. 
Right after Ben passed, I wrote several poems to him before asking him to write me back. 

Step Three:

When you are feeling ready, write a note to your loved one and add a request for him/her to write back to you.  

At the end of my letter to Ben I write a request like this: 
And what words do you have for your loving mom today my sweet, sweet boy?

And keep your pen on the paper as you listen...
The first time I did this I wrote circles with my pen for a few moments...then I heard words and started writing. 

Now, even as I am writing to Ben I start hearing his voice flowing into my head from somewhere behind my left ear. 

It's as if these words are flowing into my brain and straight down into my arm... and my pen is writing and writing - I just let it flow and enjoy the process.  

Sometimes he writes for a long time...sometimes he doesn't. I don't worry either way. He is always there when I write. He will always write back to me...even if I'm really tired. Then he wishes me sweet dreams and says let's talk more tomorrow. 

I can even hear his tone of voice. When it's really peppy, I write "peppy voice" so I remember his tone. 

And how do I know it's his voice? Can I prove it. Yes. To myself. I know. And when I read his words over later. I know for sure. When you try it you'll see what I mean. 

If you are interested - give it a try. You can write to anyone this way...and get a response. Questions? Write me at Chantforhappiness@gmail.com 

The Life-Giving Power of Each Character of Gongyo!

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In the Gosho "Letter to Horen," the Daishonin describes the characters of the Lotus Sutra as individual Buddhas emitting beams of light...able to find all those, living and dead, with whom we are connected. 
Wow.
What a great thing to learn about while we are all striving to perfect our Gongyo and deepen our faith. 

Daisaku Ikeda states in Living Buddhism, 
June 2015, page 32:

"...Through chanting the daimoku of the Lotus Sutra, Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, we can transmit benefit even to deceased family members, relatives, friends or acquaintances who may have opposed our Buddhist practice - benefit that will warmly embrace them and lead them to a state of profound peace and comfort.

Similarly, through the power of the Mystic Law, our family members and friends who have passed away in the course of the journey for kosen-rufu - whether from illness or as a result of unexpected accidents or natural disasters - will also be able to enter the path of Buddhahood. 

The best offering we can make for the eternal happiness of the departed is to live fully and strive vibrantly for kosen-rufu in their stead..."

"The Daishonin says that 
each of the 510 characters 
of the verse section 
of the "Life Span" chapter 
of the Lotus Sutra, 
from "ji ga toku burrai" 
(Since I attained Buddhahood) (LSOC, 270) 
to "soku joju busshin" 
(quickly acquire the body of the Buddha) (LSOC, 273), changes into a sun 
and then into a Buddha. 
It emits great beams of light 
that pervade every corner of the universe, 
finding Kyoshin's father wherever he might be 
and illuminating him 
(see WND-I, 517-18).
In other words, 
each chapter 
of the verse section of the "LifeSpan" chapter 
recited by Kyoshin 
becomes the Buddha, 
shining with the brilliant light of compassion 
that reaches his deceased father
in whatever state of being he may reside, 
relieving him of his suffering 
and guiding him to enlightenment."

What a wonderful life-giving practice we have!

Forging Onward Full of Life! Meeting Neha, my new friend and reader.

Me and Neha, my new friend from India

Today's daily guidance from 

For Today and Tomorrow by Daisaku Ikeda:

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"Unless we live fully right now, 

not sometime in the future, 

true fulfillment in life will forever elude us. 

Rather than putting things off till the future, 

we should find meaning in life, 

thinking and doing what is most important right now, 

- right where we are - 

setting our hearts aflame and igniting our lives. 

Otherwise, we cannot lead an inspired existence." 

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Yes! It is every single moment that counts! I just finished chanting to realize this every moment with my life. 

This past week has opened up many opportunities for me...forging onward in every way.  

I just love days that are full of surprises. 

Yesterday morning Crystal came over to learn more about the practice.  We read "Gongyo is a Grand and Noble Rite" out loud. I'm so proud of Crystal....she has such a great seeking spirit. She calls me regularly, I am chanting for her every day, and she is practicing! In the short time she's been chanting - just a month, she enrolled in the next level of education to expand her ability to make a difference in the world of criminal justice, she chanted successfully for her daughter to find the perfect job, and her other daughter just enrolled in a new school too. How fantastic!

After chanting, I embarked on a project to change some of the pictures on my bulletin board. I'm keeping some treasures of Ben up, and adding more Aaron and the people I love and chant for, both near and far, living and eternal! Just then, I checked my email and saw one from Neha Sharma, a blog reader and YWD from Delhi who was in town on business - 

and 2 blocks away!

How exciting 

Neha and I spent the rest of the day getting to know each other, chanting, having dinner and inspiring one another. You know I made a determination at the beginning of the year to be present with every person? Well, this determination opens us up to inspiration and depth of learning from others.  Each person we meet expands our life as we expand theirs. Making each person count...really listening...brings us immense treasures of the heart!

Neha is great! She's an air hostess for Air India so she is seeing much of the world. She and her mother began chanting this summer when her mother experienced a health challenge, and she has  gained peace of mind through chanting. Peace of Mind! What a Buddha! At 30 years of age she is poised, self-assured, and on her way to a victorious future with the Mystic Law in her life. I'm sure I'll be writing more about my new friend. 

Today I am about to head to several superbowl parties and hopefully have a guest at Kosen Rufu Gongyo at 1:00

Have a great day!  

Here's a question for you: 

I'm considering taking Aaron to the Great hall of the Vow of Kosen rufu on the first Wednesday in June. Would any of you like to join us? Email me at chantforhappiness@gmail.com

The Universal Prayer - Powerful!

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As Nichiren Buddhists, we are the Buddha  ~  
as we chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo summoning our fathomless wisdom while steering our life in the direction of our innermost desires...both for ourselves and for others. 

We chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo over and over and over again. We call this "chanting Daimoku"(Die-MOH-Koo). Daimoku means title. The title of the Lotus Sutra (Shakyamuni Buddha’s self-proclaimed highest teaching) is  Myoho-Renge-Kyo.  

Nichiren Daishonin added "Nam" (devotion - focusing) before Myoho-renge-kyo to make the phrase mean “I devote my life to the mystic law of cause and effect through sound vibration,” or, “I am one with the very rhythm of life.”

“Myoho-renge-kyo is the name of the ultimate mystic truth, and Nam-myoho-renge-kyo  is the name of the life state of Buddhas who embody and reveal this truth.” 

p.28 Lectures on “On Attaining Buddhahood in this Lifetime”, Daisaku Ikeda

I learned about this prayer from Linda Johnson. I've written my own version of the universal prayer. When I have this in my heart I picture all of you, and all practitioners chanting to their Gohonzons all over the world...and connecting to their prayer like never before.  

What follows is a Universal PowerPrayer to tap into our desire for happiness for all beings...the real vow we all make as Buddhas! 

Universal PowerPrayer 
for the Happiness for ALL

By Jamie Lee Silver of Chantforhappiness.com

Every Daimoku I chant 
remakes my VOW as a Buddha 
for Victory in my own life 
so that all others can achieve VICTORY in theirs! 

Every Daimoku I chant
Reaches every other person who is chanting. 
I see everyone chanting...
tapping into the deepest prayer they have ever felt ~

At this moment 
I deepen the power of my prayer by 10,000 times
Just like my mentor describes ~

so that all who are chanting can also deepen their faith, 
and bring forth the results they desire 
as we 
spread the word of this great teaching 

to those still suffering

we all become absolutely happy

and create a happy and peaceful world!

I chant that every single person who is chanting 

feels the full power 

sees the full power

experiences the full power

of this faith in their lives. 

I chant for all members to have faith

receive incredible 

benefits

and to know, and feel 

within every cell in their body

the power welling forth 
with each Nam-myoho-renge-kyo!!

Together we create kosen-rufu
the total energy shift of our planet! 

Turning Karma Into Mission ~ Every Single Day

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"Chanting Daimoku 

is the foundation of the Daishonin's Buddhism. 

When we chant sonorous daimoku (Nam-myoho-renge-kyo)

the sun rises in our hearts. 

We are filled with power. 

Compassion wells forth. 

Our lives are lit with joy. 

Our wisdom shines. 

All Buddhas and Buddhist deities throughout the universe 

go to work on our behalf. 

Life becomes exhilarating. 

Daisaku Ikeda, For Today and Tomorrow, p. 182

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When faced with a life challenge we would NEVER have chosen for ourselves - what do we do? 

How can Practicing Buddhism help? 
What is the REAL power of chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo? How can it help in practical terms? 

As you know, my beloved son Ben died this summer from Schizophrenia which caused him to take his own life. 

Every day I am using Buddhism to fuel my life as I transform my personal tragedy into a personal triumph. Or, as we Buddhists say, "Turning Karma into Mission."

Now, I don't know why my karma included this experience of having my son die, but I don't have to know the reason. All I need is the determination to change it into mission. 

Along the way, I have joined a club I never wanted to be a member of - the club no one wants to be a member of, the Suicide Survivor's club. And, as anyone would expect, I am meeting people who are at various stages of the grieving journey. Guilt, sadness, peace...

Because of my practice, I am not tormented like I was right after it happened. At that time, I was wracked with thoughts of what I could have done differently. Even though I knew I'd done my best, I felt like I had failed at my most important mission in life...being a Mom. And I chanted about these thoughts...and I realized they were my own fundamental darkness. I'm a Buddhist! I know I can fight fundamental darkness with my prayer by facing it and saying NO! 

I chanted to alleviate this feeling of guilt and to turn my pain into something I could use to help others. And through chanting, I am free from these tormenting feelings. 

I continue to write to Ben and he writes back to me through my own hand. Life is eternal. This is natural. Have any of you tried this? I can teach you how. Let me know if you are interested. 

Ben has explained everything. He says there is nothing I could have done. And I believe him.

I'm grateful for all I've been through, and all I'm going through right now. I feel a deep connection to Ben...and to all who are suffering. Ben answers my questions. He reassures me in all the things I am doing. And he encourages me daily. 

Because of my daily Buddhist practice, I'm protected. I'm safe, secure, learning about myself, and in an excellent support group of other suicide survivors. It's professionally facilitated and includes a mother whose son died ten years ago, and another whose son died 3 years ago. They share their coping skills with the rest of us. It's a healing process

Thank YOU for your notes. Dear friends, we share the noblest of missions! WhatEVER you are facing - you can turn YOUR karma into mission! We are the votaries of the Lotus Sutra. By chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, reading the words of our mentor Daisaku Ikeda, joining together with our SGI friends, and introducing others to this victorious way of life...we can overcome any challenges! 

On Establishing the Correct Teaching for the Peace of the Land

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I was up at 5 am today to chant for an hour before picking up three fellow practitioners to go to the Chicago Culture Center today. It was perfect, I left the house before 8, and we were at the Center by 9:00 in time to get a parking spot in the parking lot. Woohoo!

It was a lecture on 

"On Establishing the Correct Teaching 

for the Peace of the Land" 

Engaging in dialogues of hope 

to bring happiness and peace to all people.

There was a good discussion about slander of our own life and of others. It left me more determined than ever to grow as a human being and to be more aware of self-slander and slander of others. In Buddhism, as you know, we are all interconnected. (We are all worthy Buddhas. Slandering ourselves - doubting our capabilities, calling ourselves denigrating names) - or speaking behind people's backs - can take away all our good fortune. 

We need to have the courage and wisdom to speak TO people, not ABOUT people...to be kind, of course, and to not harbor grudges against ANYONE. That's a tall order for all of us - and one worth chanting about. 

One of the leaders told a story about a district he was in where they were doing everything right...but slandering each other...and everyone's benefit was eroded. Important lessons. 

And we discussed having the courage to do shakubuku (introduce people to this practice) - which starts with Daimoku. That's how my new shakubuku Crystal came into my life...I chanted and she showed up with her great seeking spirit! I chanted to meet someone who is ready. and here she is! 
Today was her first time at the Chicago Culture Center. I chanted an hour yesterday for her, and another hour this morning just for her...she is just an inspiration to me. She worked until late last night and still came out this morning.

GO Buddha Go! 

I hope you are practicing with the SGI. If not, click on the link to the right to find a district in your area!