Hello beloved readers! Greetings from St. Pete Beach, Florida!
In these uncertain times, what's a Buddhist to do?
I have great news for you, THIS IS OUR TIME! Buddhism shines when times are tough. Now, more than ever we can show actual proof through our lives. Now, more than ever, even if we don't have meetings to go to, we can do shakubuku with our bright shining lives.
I was just at the grocery store, and yes, I was stocking up on food. Canned goods...pasta...maybe you are doing the same. And the thing is, everyone was moving around like zombies, and while I was shopping I felt like I was in a trance too. Except, I smiled at people. And, when I got to the check out counter I greeted the workers and asked them how they were doing and we had a nice laugh about these crazy times.
No matter what we are going through we have the option to let our Buddhahood shine through. I'm smiling at everyone. I'm letting cars in, I'm making sure I let pedestrians go past and wave to them. I do these things all the time, but now I do them even more.
As Buddhists, we are the last ones to give in to hopelessness! We have no hopelessness! We are Buddhas and we dance! As Daisaku Ikeda says: "If we don't have hope we have to Create it." and we have the perfect place to do it! Right in front of our Gohonzons is where it happens.
Now is the time to up our levels of Daimoku. Now is the time to make sure that we are not just mindlessly letting our minds wander while chanting. Now is the time to leave our phones in the other room as we chant! Now is the time to invite our friends to chant with us (if it's advisable where you live) Now is the time to focus and PRAY. Now is the time to raise our life conditions!
You asked me, so here is something I created for you based on how I am praying right now:
PowerPrayer to Raise our Life Conditions to make every day a joy no matter WHAT!
By Jamie Lee Silver, chantforhappiness.com
While chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo:
Gohonzon! My life!
Now, more than ever
I am tapping into the life force of the universe
that is MY life force.
As I chant,
I am bringing forth the full power of the universe inside me to raise MY life condition
and raise the life condition of everyone
and everything on the planet.
Right now I am chanting to end the suffering of anyone who is suffering.
I am determined to keep my life condition SKY HIGH
so anyone who comes in contact with me
is brightened by my presence!
Goohonzon! I am born to win! I am a Buddha!
I am determined not to give in to fear.
I am determined to keep my head up
and show actual proof of the power of this practice.
I am determined to be present. Be smart. Be all I can be.
This is my moment! This is all our moment.
All the shoten zenjins in the universe come to our planet right now and end this coronovirus.
Shoten zenjin! Wherever you are in the universe come to earth right now through the power of my daimoku.
I am now tapping into my own power as a Buddha
more than ever before.
I will win! no matter how our lives may change,
may we all be strong
and have such an incredible life force that
we can overcome and persevere through anything.
May this planet be more united and positive than ever before.
May LOVE rule this world...starting with me!
And, may the youth of the world rise up and realize their power to make this world their own.
Nam-myoho-renge-kyo!!!
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How do we approach our lives powerfully?
How do we make each moment count?
How do we generate "earnest resolve"?
We KNOW that each moment contains the seed and power of the entire universe within our lives (ichinen sanzen) We KNOW THIS MOMENT is important. What do we need to harness and activate and use this knowledge with every fiber of our being? Here are some insights from the September Gosho study on the Gift of Rice:
The Gosho, the Gift of Rice states:
"When we carefully consider what exactly "earnest resolve" refers to, it is the doctrine of observing the mind."
(From the Gift of Rice by Nichiren Daishonin, Living Buddhism September 2015, page 29)
President Ikeda states "Everything is determined by the direction in which our "earnest resolve" orients our minds. When we focus our "earnest resolve" on our Buddhist practice, believing and practicing the Mystic Law that enables all people to attain enlightenment, our inner Buddhahood reveals itself, pervading our lives and the environment."
LB, 9/15, page 38
How powerfully can earnest resolve work in our lives?
Akeymi Bailey Haynie, our National SGI Leader said one day she heard her mother cry out from a nightmare, and realized that her mother had been having nightmares every night. (Her mother is a survivor of the WWII bombings in Japan). Akeymi developed a deep resolve in her heart and sat down and chanted 15 minutes of focused Daimoku that her mother would NEVER AGAIN have another nightmare. She reached that level of "now or never" or "NO WAY!" that is so powerful, and her Mom never had another nightmare.
We all have this power in our lives. Sensei tells us this every day. When we are in front of the Gohonzon it is up to us to summon this resolve, and to focus our minds.
We all have this power! Today I offer you:
PowerPrayer to Ignite and Focus
Our Inner Resolve
by Jamie Lee Silver from ChantforHappiness.com
LIFE!
Now it the crucial moment!
THIS MOMENT
While I am chanting I am drawing a line in the sand!
I am changing this KARMA Forever -
I am rooting the cause from my life now!
This shall happen:__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
and/or THIS shall STOP happening:________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
I NOW summon all the power vested in me as a worthy votary of the Lotus Sutra.
My life is Powerful!
I am turning my attention and focus to this powerful intention:
__________________________________________________
My daimoku is Powerful
Shoten Zenjin activate your forces NOW!
Each Daimoku summons my power!
Each Daimoku has an effect NOW
For the sake of World Peace, I ignite my vow!
I will show actual proof - inspire myself, inspire others,
and change the world!
Nam-myoho-renge-kyo!
Nam-myoho-renge-kyo!
Nam-myoho-renge-kyo!
Hello, my friends!
Faith Equals Daily Life is a term we hear often in this practice. This week a reader emailed me to ask what this means to me.
For those of you new to this blog, I'm a 35-year practitioner of Nichiren Buddhism, and I live my life to rid the world of suffering. I'm a proud member of the SGI, but I do not speak for the SGI. This is my personal blog for you.
Faith equals daily life means:
Chant about everything! Infuse all your hopes and dreams into Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, and take steady action based on your determinations. Go forth fearlessly supported by your abundant daimoku! Leave complaining to the other guys, don't let it cloud your benefits. Focus on being, and seeing the solutions. Journal in Appreciation every day.
All kinds of benefits are flowing to me with this determination. I am chanting to reach the people who are most open to using EFT, and those I can help the most profoundly to be naturally drawn into my sphere. I am chanting to fulfill this mission that my entire life has prepared me to do.
I did not go through all my trials in vain. My prayer is to turn poison into medicine (for my life and for ALL).
The pain I suffered at losing my beloved boy to suicide has a purpose right now. My study and certification in Clinical EFT, and my certification as an energy healer, along with cultivating deep listening skills all add to my expertise as an EFT Professional. The fact that I can help people all over the world through modern technology is the icing on the cake! The book I've written: Our Forever Ben, One Mom's letters to her son in spirit and his poetic replies" is more current than ever!
One of my most recent benefits is being invited to create a video course called "How to live a life of meaning after losing a loved one to suicide." I'll get all kinds of curriculum and technical support to create this! What a joy it is to help others in this way! I'm beginning the formulation of this course and will keep you appraised of it!
Another benefit...and this is a doozy: My son Aaron Michael Silver is very busy with his life as a medical resident in Phoenix. Our time together is premium time. Check this out: He just confirmed that on April 21st, his 30th birthday, he will be here in Florida for a conference and he will be able to take his birthday off to spend with me. Talk about benefit!
May your life be filled with benefits too!
Chant about everything. YOU are the Buddha. YOU tell your life what you want by praying to your life every single day. When you chant to be the example of kosen-rufu (world peace) and to let your bright light illuminate the way for others all the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas of the universe convene to carry forth your life force.
As Daisaku Ikeda writes:
"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."
Daisaku Ikeda, From Ikedaquotes.org
Faith equals daily life means that every single day is a reflection of your faith and determination. Faith equals daily life means our faith is not shut off in some little box that we only take out every once in a while. No, our faith IS each day...our determination for each day...our life, Well-Lived...every single day.
Chant about it all. Chant to connect life to life. Realize that, as Daisaku Ikeda says: YOU are the protagonist in the great play of your life. Enjoy it!!
Be well my friends!
