My Fortune baby! Heading to Loyola Medical School!

Aaron Michael Silver in front of the 
Stritch School of Medicine at Loyola 

We all spent Friday at "Second Look" a day reserved for all incoming Medical Students at Loyola. 

I've told you some of Aaron's history before, right? When I was pregnant with him I chanted a million Daimoku, 
a million Nam Myoho Renge Kyos. 

I had so many things on my list...for my husband and me to be mature enough to be good parents and be ready to raise a child...for financial security...for my child not to have the difficult karma I had...for him to easily make friends and to have self esteem ... and...with all my heart I chanted for him to have a dream and for him to fulfill it.


And throughout his life I have encouraged him to chant for whatever he desires...while trying not to push him so hard that he doesn't want to chant. 

Aaron has been a world class human being his whole life. He's been a true friend to many...a trusted leader and mentor to his brother and to others. He has started leadership groups, 
set the pace for his friends, been an 
outstanding student and resourceful young man. 
And for many years he has had a dream to become a physician. 


In the fall he led his Cross Country team to the national championship. A few months ago he won the Campus Excellence in Community Engagement award. Today, he found out that he is graduating with Distinction. And now, he has chosen a medical school that prides itself on the HUMANITY it brings forth in every doctor. It's staff has been there many years. The students are known for being happy. Yes, you heard me correctly. Happy. That's refreshing isn't it? That is also my style..the way I like to go about things.
Happiness is important!
Over and over on Friday we heard consistently positive messages from the staff and students at the Stritch School of Medicine.


Anything is possible. Anything can be fulfilled. 
Dream big. 
You're a Buddha!


I wish you happiness in everything you are doing. Remember that all your problems might seem big right now. ANd they might be big right now. But really, compared to Nam Myoho Renge Kyo they are quite small! The more you chant, the smaller they become. Keep determining to win.
Don't give up! 

Happy Saturday!

Hello! 
I have been chanting about my challenges, and I have also been having a lot of fun! 
As I mentioned in an earlier blog I am so rich with friendships and love. 
I look around my life and am really astonished by the depths at which I have changed my karma regarding relationships. I have more girlfriends than I can count, and the group who knows each other is growing all the time. All these friends are bright, positive, happy, creative women! And I meet more every day. Yesterday one of my dearest friends stopped by and we read Maya Angelou's poem "I Rise" together. What a masterpiece from a true goddess of our lifetime. 
Another friend invited me over to introduce her 9 year old nephew to chanting. I went over and gave him his own beads, a few copies of "friends for peace" and we chanted the magic words that would get rid of his nightmares and immediately made him very happy! Children are so open. And a few moments of chanting begins to open up their world! 


And on the subject of  friendships...
 I can't help thinking back to kindergarden when I was 5 years old and a little girl and I were sitting next to each other in a large circle and she got up and moved to a different part of the circle because she didn't want to sit next to me. That began a long pattern in my life that lasted many years. I had a few friends here and there, and I am so grateful for them...but I was an outsider with few friends for all of my school years. In college I had the fortune to meet my new friend Jenny on the very first day and we roomed together for the rest of college and had a blast...but I still felt like an outsider most of the time. 


Once I became a Buddhist I chanted for friendships. I chanted to change whatever I needed to change in myself to have friends. And now...I really have what I chanted about...constant fun invitations with people I adore being with...celebrations...and friends who know each other. 
I also chanted a lot about my love life and I am very happy in that area too. Busy! Happy! Enjoying life! I feel so fulfilled!
Remember you can change ANY karma through chanting!!!! If I can have a circle of friends...If I can make the impossible happen...so can YOU!!!
It did not happen overnight for me. You WILL change some things overnight. You will see some immediate results, but some karma is tougher than others. It is different for every person. 
Remember "karma" is not the same as "fault". Please realize you are not to blame for whatever you are experiencing...but you are at CAUSE for making whatever changes you want in your life!!! 


You make the most profound cause by chanting Nam Myoho Renge Kyo consistently to make that change. President Ikeda says (and I'm paraphrasing here): "The important thing is the KEEP CHANTING until you do get the benefit!" Of course! Don't give up!
This morning I will sit down and chant another tozo on your behalf, on all of our behalf...on the whole world's behalf. 
Join me! Happy Saturday!

Incredible SGI Buddhist Meeting Tonight! Introducing others to this practice!

My home was filled with energy tonight! We had 15 people here for the SGI planning meeting! I swear, the place is still buzzing.


There is nothing like an SGI meeting! We coe together to share successes, challenges, study Buddhism and become so close we're almost like family.


Find your local meeting by going to SGI-USA.org and finding the culture center closest to your home. Call them and ask for a meeting in your area. There are meetings everywhere!!!


You will make a room full of good friends!


And there is a "secret" to having a good Buddhist meeting and a secret to introducing others to this practice! Chant about it!


Downers Grove District in Illinois has incredible and lively meetings. Why? For many years we have been chanting that everyone who comes to a meeting be enlivened, lifted up, encouraged and given new hope at EVERY meeting! That is why the room is filled with excited and happy people getting results.


You know how much I love to introduce people to this practice, and then watch as their lives blossom! It is the happiest way to live! And the fastest way to change your karma!


I always chant to meet people who want to know about this practice...and the room is always filled with people I've introduced. It's easy. It all starts with Daimoku...and as I said, I chant to encounter people who are thirsting for this practice, and who want to chant. Then I tell just about everyone I meet about chanting. I mention it in the course of our conversation. Our two newest members were here tonight because my iphone had a problem and I went to the apple store. I told the peson who was helping me that I had to have the phone working because I'm a Buddhist leader, and I told her about the blog and readers all over the world. She was so psyched! She has now been chanting for 4 months and has already introduced her dear friend. They will probably both get their Gohonzons on May third! Introducing people to this practice is so easy! Just have a glowing life condition, be receiving benefits galore...and tell everyone ! I always carry Nam Myoho Renge Kyo cards on me. ALWAYS!!


I hope you are having a great week and continuing to shine with the brilliant light of Daimoku!
Don't give up! You are the Buddha!!

Courageous and Determined Blog Readers!

Many of you are challenging yourselves to chant more Daimoku than ever! Many of you are doing long Tozos. (Chanting for many hours) 


I am looking forward to hearing your stories of victory!!!


And I have one important reminder:


Remember that when a ship increases its speed, the wind force it encounters is stronger! You are speeding your life up when you chant so strongly. You are revving up the motor of your life!!!


After your tozo....don't be alarmed if those negative thoughts come right back into your mind with a vengeance. you know the ones I mean! The ones that say "Oh, this is hopeless! I will never accomplish my dreams!" The thoughts may say to you: "I chanted so many hours yesterday, why don't I feel great today?" THOSE THOUGHTS!


They are normal! They are part of the process. If they come into your brain say "Hello Negative thoughts! Jamie warned me about you! No taking up residence in my brain!!! Negative thoughts be gone!!" 


And don't worry. YOU ARE CHANGING YOUR KARMA....YOU ARE MAKING DEEP CAUSES IN YOUR LIFE! You WILL be victorious!!!!


I am chanting for you all! Let's have an amazing week!!!!

I have one hour left of a tozo I am chanting for you!

Chant with me!
I am chanting for you to be able to chant with joy and realize all your dreams!!!

Have Faith it will all work out!!!

It's just so amazing how things come together in a "myoho" way! 


Today it seems like everything I've ever feared is just an illusion (as it really is - only sometimes it feels real!)


For weeks I've been looking forward to these next few days with apprehension because it seems I was presented with an undoable task at work...with a due date of tomorrow. I fretted. I complained (no, I'm not proud of that!) I worried and lost sleep and I chanted, chanted, chanted...made causes and did my best to keep smiling and keep encouraging everyone around me. I also focused on the part of my job that makes me shine like the sun, and brings happiness to all those around me! 


And we get to the deadline week and I discover that no one in the country who has a similar job has achieved results in the area I thought was impossible...and the one area I really thought was going to go well - the computer system broke down for three days and we had to postpone the event anyway. So I am totally off the hook!


Honestly ...it feels like "Deus ex machina". You english majors should recognize that phrase. It's used to describe novels where suddenly everything magically resolves itself...literally "God from a machine...or God from a box." That's how I feel. Of course I know it has nothing to do with magic. It is all a result from my chanting and my good causes. Last night I even took the Buddhist exam here in Chicago. Many of us are taking that this month. 


And next week I have a huge success in the area of my career that I love. I've brought all three of my campuses in Chicago to participate in one big event that is going to be spectacular...a real service to the community and very great for the students! 


Another fantastic thing came about today too. I'm taking Aaron and Ben, my two Buddha boys, to California in May. (They were both born is San Francisco and we still have dear friends there) I'm calling it Aaron's victory lap for graduating at the top of his class at U of I and starting Medical school at Loyola (close to me!!) next year. We found out earlier this week that our favorite community race of all time is 3 days BEFORE we were scheduled to arrive in California. Darn, I thought...so close! And today I found out Ben has to take a course during the summer and needs to return earlier than our planned date...so I'm moving the trip up a few days and the three of us will do the infamous BAY TO BREAKERS race in San Francisco!!!! Thousands and thousands of people walk from the Bay all the way to the Ocean (You know San Francisco is only 7 square miles...and it's a peninsula, right?) So the boys will run and I'm about to call my Bay Area friends and find out who wants to walk. It's a crazy time. People dress in all kinds of costumes. We did it with the boys every year when they were little. They dressed as superheros. I really do think it's the reason we ended up with two star runners in the family!


So the next time you're thinking "Oh my goodness is this ever going to break through?" or "Why me?" just keep chanting keep chanting keep chanting and one day the clouds will open the results will appear and you will spend the next few days...weeks...months...chanting in appreciation! 


Don't give up whatever you do! Nam Myoho Renge Kyo!!!!

For those of you doing tozos (longer chanting sessions)...how is it going?

In case you don't know, a tozo is chanting Nam Myoho Renge Kyo for an extended time with a certain purpose in mind...a goal and a determination. 


How are your tozos going? Remember that you probably will not see the result the next day, but you HAVE MADE THE CAUSE and you definitely will get the result. There are two kinds of benefits, conspicuous and inconspicuous. Of course we all like to see the results right away, but inconspicuous benefits go into our lives and helps us build the fortune...real fortune...like health and prosperity. So do not despair if a tozo doesn't show a result in two minutes. Remain confident and keep chanting every day twice a day!

A tozo can be one hour, 2 hours, 3 etc. The longest I've ever chanted was 12 hours in a row. I did it right before Rock the Era in 2010 and I chanted for youth in the SGI. I chanted for them to find out about the SGI, to join, and for all of them to realize their dreams and tell their friends about the practice.   


It was easy for me to do this tozo for two reasons. First of all, I wasn't alone. I did it at the Illinois Activity Center with many people. And I remember people came and went throughout the day, but me and one other woman...we stayed the whole time only taking a break to eat or drink or just step outside for a second to get some air. 


At that time my district didn't have any youth in it. Within a few months we had four...and of course, the Rock the Era festival was a huge success at the University of Illinois Pavilion and my two sons and two of their friends were able to attend. 


The second reason it was easy for me to do this tozo is how much I suffered as a youth. I lived in a constant state of hunger for just about everything...friends...grades...a release from the deep sadness I brought into this world that had no right to come with me. I know it was my karma, I'm clear about that, but my family was wonderful and I didn't have to suffer in the way so many children do in challenging situations. No, I was surrounded with love from everyone but myself! So I always have a determination for youth to find this practice. I remember myself as a high schooler...always in love with the boy who didn't care about me...always LOOKING for the spiritual practice I could use to end my suffering. 


That's right, I was born knowing this practice had to exist, I KNEW there had to be a practice I could put my energy into and somehow channel my energy into positive changes in my life and for others. But every time I looked into Buddhism I found the same things: I was told that the CAUSE of my sufferings is desire and if I could alleviate my attachments to desires I could be happy. I rejected that for two reasons. One, it was totally theoretical. It offered no practice, and two, even more importantly, I didn't want to give up my desires. I felt they were a part of who I was. 


So I kept looking until I found the ONE practice that not only allows you to keep your desires, but actually tells you that your desires will lead you to enlightenment. 


THIS is why I am always doing shakubuku. (Introducing people to Nam Myoho Renge Kyo). THIS is why I write this blog and tell people about this practice every day. Happiness is attainable right here right now. I am living proof. 


You too can achieve all your dreams. Just remember that you must keep traveling on the road no matter how many inner "demons" you have to face. Because, after all, isn't it the voices of doubt in our own head the hardest things to overcome? Those voices say "Oh this works for other people but not for me", or "This practice is just too hard, and why do I still have problems?" And of course, you will always have challenges. They are the fuel that builds your strong faith, but only if YOU DO NOT GIVE UP!!! There is a happy life for you. Please persevere and help others too. Please pass along this blog url to people. chantforhappiness.com, so we can both help more people. 
Much love!
Jamie

More on Friendships, and a great quote on the Buddha of Limitless Joy

One of the wonderful readers of this blog wrote me yesterday that she had read the last blog I posted and been amazed because she is going though the exact same karma I did regarding friends. She also watches Sex in the City and wonders where her true friends are, and what she can do to have friends.


 (In the last blog I talked about how rich I am in friendships and how all my friends are actual proof that this practice works) 


Thank you for writing and please don't give up. To have more friendships I chanted to change whatever I needed to change in my own life to have more friends. I chanted to praise my life, and to make friends. I chanted to be open. One by one I made friends, then I set dates to introduce them to each other. I also determined to become closer to my SGI district friends and I'm sure that helped. So now I have several groups of friends. All my friends are very positive energy people of course! 
If I can change my karma so can you! And as I mentioned, I never really figured our WHY I didn't have enough friends, and the answer to that question is, I firmly believe, unimportant. Just chant to have friends and be open to meeting people. Listen more than you talk, and before you know it.....you'll have the benefit too!


I have a great quote from Daisaku Ikeda to share with you. It's from the study material for the test we'll be taking later this week. From the essay "Practicing the Lotus Sutra in the Latter Day of the Law" I found his description of being a 


BUDDHA OF LIMITLESS JOY!


Boy, do I like the sound of that!
Here's the quote: 

"Nichiren Daishonin embodied a profound state of enlightenment referred to as "the Buddha of limitless joy." This same magnanimous life-condition resides in us all." President Ikeda describes the life-condition as "absolute freedom, bright and unfettered." He continues: 


"It abounds with compassion toward all living beings and with sympathy for those who are suffering. It surges with inexhaustible wisdom and spiritual energy, and overflows with infinite life force, good fortune and benefit. And it burns with the courage to battle the negative tendencies in oneself and others, afraid of nothing." (May 2002 Living Buddhism, p.44)


This life-condition is what we will ALL attain if we don't give up...if we treat all obstacles as benefits...introduce as many people as we can to this practice and keep chanting, no matter what!!

On a Saturday Night...

I'm sitting here after a full day of having some of my best girlfriends over for a book club party. I tell you this because the fact that I have a circle of girlfriends is living proof of the karma that I have changed. 


I share this with you to give you hope. 


If I can have a close circle of girlfriends who know and love each other....well then...ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE! 


Anything is possible for you. No matter what your challenge is...no matter what you want to make happen...you can do it. 


I chanted for quite some time about this...for many years I felt like the loneliest person on earth. No matter what I did, no matter how I tried...it seemed no one wanted to be friends with me. People these days who know me can't believe such a thing could ever have been possible. These days I have more friends than I can count...more invitations than I can accept...and more fun than I ever could imagine. 


I used to watch Sex and the City and Waiting to Exhale and think "Oh if only I had a circle of girlfriends!"


And did I ever FIGURE OUT why I didn't have friends? No. Not really. All I did was chant to change the karma that kept me from having friends. I knew the responsibility was mine. Not the blame...the responsibility. I chanted to love myself. I chanted to grab hold of that friendless karma and throw if out the door. I chanted to have friends. 


And gradually...I saw changes happening in my life. I became a really social person. I learned how to network for business. I became a lover of meeting new people. I listened to what people told me about building business relationships...things like invite a new friend to go with you to networking events...and some of my business relationships turned into real friendships. 


One day I realized I had several very close friends that I loved...but they didn't know each other, so I started having small get togethers and my friends became friends. And now I have a widening circle and I'm content and happy with my friendships. 
And there is always room for more!


I never figured it out. NO. But I changed it through my daimoku and my actions. And you can change anything you want to change too. It's pretty simple when you think about it. 


First, chant to make the changes in your own life so that your circumstances will change. Chant for the wisdom to know what to do to accomplish your goals. Then take the action to make it happen. You can do it! If I did it so can you. So can you!

New Determinations from YOU! And news about my Buddha Boy Aaron

I am hearing from so many readers! Thank you so much. I love knowing that my words are making a difference. I just finished three hours of Daimoku this morning to be able to reply in this blog with as much wisdom as possible. 


First of all, to those of you who written to say that you are upping your daimoku instead of quitting chanting I say BRAVO!!!!If you quit you will never know what a glorious life you can have if you keep chanting. And yes, I know, chanting can make you feel all sorts of emotions that you've been tamping down by various methods. It makes sense doesn't it? Whenever you are really at the brink of changing your life forever... negative forces will rise up to get you to stop. Now, I don't say this to get you scared...it is just a fact of life that when a boat moves quickly the wind resistance increases. It's the same with faith...but the POWER, the real POWER in your life arises when you TURN UP THAT MOTOR and defy that negative wind. Happiness is your birthright. Claim it now. It does not come without struggle. It does not come without struggle. Persevere! As the Gosho says "Suffer what there is to suffer and enjoy what there is to enjoy, and continue chanting Nam Myoho Renge Kyo no matter what happens." Keep going and don't give up whatever you do! 


I was reading Discussions with Youth last night. Check this out. 
Daisaku Ikeda states " If the power of your faith and practice is a force of 10,000, then it will elicit that degree of corresponding power." (page 299) So I decided to chant this morning to increase the power of my faith 10,000 times!!! It was wonderful to chant this way. It was so easy to chant for three hours. I chanted for YOUR prayers to increase in power by 10,000 x and for everyone who is chanting to increase their faith by 10,000 x. Why not? ! It felt so good! 


He also said, " If you summon your courage to challenge something you'll never be left with regret. How sad it is to spend your life wishing , "If only I'd had a little more courage." Whatever the outcome may be, it is important to take a step forward on the path you believe is right. There is no need to worry about what others may think. Be true to yourself. It's your life after all."
That passage brought tears to my eyes. This morning I was chanting for courage! 


I have so many things to share with you. First of all last week my son Aaron was awarded the Campus Community Engagement Award from the University of Illinois in Champaign-Urbana for the leadership program he started at Edison Middle School. The reception was lovely, and Aaron gave a great speech. The mayor and the chancellor were both there to present him his award. He received a beautiful etched glass standing plaque and $1500. He was the only student winner. The coolest thing is that he has also trained his replacement to keep the program running long into the future. That is the sign of a real leader...building things that last. 


And yesterday. Aaaahhh yesterday. There was a victory meeting for youth at the Chicago Buddhist Center and Aaron and I went. You might remember that he's a senior in college, and he's known as a fortune baby...meaning a child whose parents chanted for him before he was even born. He has chanted his entire life...and he recently realized that he is his truest, most happiest self when he is chanting. 
He stood on the stage in front of hundreds of people and announced that it had taken him 21 years to fully embrace his Buddhist faith. He said he'd been accepted to med school and was going to be devoting the rest of his time at college  to helping the youth devision in Champaign. 


Is there anything that could possibly make me happier? Isn't that the greatest news? And he's going to Loyola Medical School right here in town, very close by...so he'll be a part of my district and chant with the youth in our district. 


How wonderful!

Lots of your comments coming in...

Thank you all for writing. It seems my last post really struck a chord. Many people have experienced various forms of physical and emotional release when they first started chanting. One person wrote me about having anxiety attacks after starting chanting. They said they had about 6 attacks. At first the attacks were emotional, then faded and faded in intensity and finally disappeared. 


Sometime during my first few years of chanting I felt that I was stirring a lot of issues up in my life, but I felt like they weren't really resolving. I went for guidance with a senior leader...and her guidance really changed my life. She said that when you first start chanting your life is like a big glass of dirty water. When you chant you stir that up...and you feel the effects of everything moving around. But there is still a layer on the bottom that hasn't been reached. She said that's what tozos and fresh determination are about. She said I might think about chanting one day for a long period of time with a specific goal...and I took her advice pretty seriously. I decided to take the issue I was most concerned about, make a vow to totally change the karma I was experiencing in this area and chant for 10 hours about it. I tell you this story because I experienced it, not because anyone is ever expected to chant for such a long period of time...please don't worry that you won't get results in your life if you don't do this. Your daily practice WILL give you results if you don't give up!


So I sat down on this gorgeous sunny day in San Francisco with my water, my journal and my vow to overcome this suffering. During the course of the day I stopped every hour to stretch. I watched very interesting things come up as I chanted....and the first thing I chanted for was to get through the ten hours. My dear friend Delores Hepburn taught me that. I also called my District leader and he came over and chanted the last hour with me. Thank you Jon Doskow! 


During the day the time really flew. I thought about all the things I had ever done that I regretted and I forgave myself. I chanted for my list of all the things I wanted. I chanted to introduce everyone who was suffering to this practice. I chanted to love my life. And I chanted about my job karma, and the karma I had always had  - I always had problems in my relationships with other people. 


And something did change that day. I don't know if I saw it immediately afterwards. I remember it being really hard to chant for at least a few days. But I've changed so many things over the course of my chanting...changed them forever. I don't have problems connecting with people anymore. On the contrary I always have endless invitations to really cool things with really wonderful people. My life overflows with love. From all areas. I can let it in...in ways I always longed for, and never knew WHY I couldn't. I never had to figure out WHY, I just chanted to change the karma and it worked!
I feel tremendous satisfaction in my work life, and even when I have challenges I know exactly what to do about them. 


For those of you who wrote me that some things are moving slowly I have two words of advice. 


Don't GIVE UP! 
And make a VOW deep in your life to be happy in every single area of your life so that you can be a shining example that this practice works...and in front of the Gohonzon DEMAND the results that you want. You are a Buddha!!! You deserve for all your prayers to come true! Don't give up!!!

Crying and feeling emotional while Chanting?

One reader said she was new to chanting and everything was going along just fine and one day she broke down crying while chanting. 


This is wonderful, and was part of the process of becoming happier, at least for me. I'm not sure if everyone goes through this...but when I started chanting I cried while chanting quite a bit. I think chanting touched a part of me and brought me to a feeling of tremendous relief. I had been looking for the key to my own and other's happiness....and from the moment I started chanting I knew this was it. It was like my body and my heart and my mind all sighed in happiness together. 
And I also cried because chanting touched the deep well of sadness that had always been within my life. I've written about this before. I started this blog because of that sadness deep in my life somewhere. Chanting touches it and helps release it. I think of the tears I shed while chanting as tears toward my golden beautiful karma. I feel they are all creating a happiness that is so wonderful I can't even imagine it now! You will get beyond whatever is troubling you. Suffering may be part of life, but in this practice it is not the GOAL! You will move beyond it. Happiness is the reason we all chant, and we all move closer to it every day...and experience it more and more every moment!


So if you are crying when you chant I say CONGRATULATIONS!!!! Let it out sweet soul! Welcome the feeling of release and the touching of your pain. It's all good! It is all for your good and your happiness. It is part of the process that will release you and make you the happiest person!


Don't think you are doing something wrong. We are all beautiful human beings with feelings. 
Chant to really appreciate your life, your SELF, your own being! Chant to praise your life. Remember when you praise your life, your environment responds and the things that you are really wishing for...the things we all long for...love, recognition...appreciation all come into our lives in brilliant and new ways. Do not give up. Experience and appreciate your emotions and your SELF!!!!!

Breakthrough!

You know, when you chant the way I was talking about in the last post...with such determination and resolve...you do get results quickly.

I spent yesterday in a high life condition experiencing wisdom in my communications. And the result was immediate. I was reassured and validated and some changes were made that I feel happy about.

My karma attack is over already....and I am looking at having a great weekend with my son at home, then going off to Champaign to see my other son receive his citizen's engagement award. I'll write more about that later.

And remember, when faced with a tough communication chant to have a high life ocndition and to be able to have the wisdom to know what to say. It really works!

Having a Karma Attack?

OK, first of all, the phrase "karma attack" is not an official Buddhist phrase. I have to admit, I made it up! Sometimes, it's the only way to explain what it feels like when part of your world is spinning in what looks like a downward spiral. Right now I'm having an experience like this in a certain area of my professional life. 
Have you ever felt this way? Like something very familiar (and not positive) is happening...a repeat of something that has happened to you before, and it's rearing its ugly head yet again? What are some examples? How about when you seem to be having the same relationship problems over and over...only with different people. Or the same job problems in different jobs. 


So what do you do? How do you chant when it seems that the same problem (each time a little less severe, because you ARE changing your karma) has come up. 


First of all, don't let your own inner darkness defeat you. It is all too easy to say "this chanting doesn't work anyway...why even try." It is all too easy to let doubt take over. But don't surrender! That is truly the voice of your inner darkness, not your Buddha self.  And, sometimes it becomes agonizingly hard to chant. Has that ever happened to you? It does to me! And I start hearing negative thoughts all day as I'm working. This is a karma attack! 


What do I do? What can you do? 


First of all, I contact my Buddhist friends and let them know I need some daimoku. I chant for many people, and sometimes I need a boost from my friends too! And I call the people who inspire me most and get some words of wisdom and guidance. I MAKE myself chant even when it's so hard. I know I am busting through something life changing. I study and chant as much as I can, and I take the time to encourage other people who are struggling. I listen carefully to the advice I give others such as: you know you are going to have a big breakthrough and a big benefit when you have a big problem. 


I once had a friend from Japan who said "Really big problems make me really happy...I KNOW a really big benefit is on the way!" I'll tell you, THAT'S the attitude to have, isn't it? 


I also chant to have an incredibly high life condition....so that no matter what happens I am focused, I say and do the right things, and I can generate the wisdom to make the right decisions. 


And I take the opportunity to really connect with the Gohonzon. Suffering can be the cause to deepen your prayer so that you get the results you want to get! Sometimes it is the best thing for your practice (and I do not mean to say that suffering is the way of the Buddhist. It is NOT. Happiness is the way of the Buddhist...and forging our lives through suffering is a means of strengthening our lives. But the goal is happiness!) 


And I sit in front of the Gohonzon and VOW to be happy...and VOW to show actual proof of the Gohonzon. I tell the Buddhist gods (the functions within my own life) that I MUST win. I am the votary of the Lotus Sutra. I HAVE to inspire my district, my friends and family and my beloved blog readers! That's how I am chanting right now. If you have challenges JOIN ME!!! You can have the same prayer. You are all votaries of the Lotus Sutra! Write me and share your stories with the other readers of this blog! Be strong and break through your karma as I am determined to break through mine!!! 

On the Beach!

Miami Beach this weekend....What an interesting place...
And I'll you one thing I had to relearn this weekend...that if you take a "vacation" from chanting WHILE you're one vacation...well...you might be in for a few surprises! 


I really didn't want to do much chanting on this trip for various reasons. And it was a pretty great trip...only I nearly missed my flight on the way back. And that wasn't really the worst part. It was my emotional reaction to almost missing the flight that was the really hard part...and that proved to me yet again that the greatest fortune is having a high life condition. If you have a high life condition it really doesn't matter what happens. A high life condition comes from chanting enough daimoku! With a high life  condition everything is a snap. No problem really gets you down. If I'd had a higher life condition I would have been less emotional at the airport!


May you always chant enough daimoku that YOU have a high life condition!


Just  a few words of wisdom for a sunny day in March in Chicago. 

Two kinds of benefits

I got an email from someone who recently started chanting 15 minutes a day. They said the first few months they saw lots of changes...it felt like miracles were happening...but now, the benefits have slowed down for a time and they don't see any changes. 


My first response is to keep going and do not give up. My second is to say fight even harder for your life!


When you are not seeing huge benefits coming forth you are still getting results from your practice. I'll explain how it works. 


There are two kinds of benefits, the kind you see right away, Conspicuous benefits, and the kind that go deep into your life creating fortune just when you need it, called Inconspicuous benefits. You are getting both kinds every time you chant. It can be frustrating to think "I'm chanting and nothing is happening" but that is really not the case. Seasoned buddhists know exactly what I'm talking about. The fortune from chanting is building a daimoku bank for you. Those inconspicuous benefits will emerge from your life just when you need them...at a crucial moment!


I remember in the early days of my practice...in the first year or two. I spoke to a senior leader (one who'd been chanting much longer than myself) about an aspect of my life I was challenging through my prayer. I think it was job related. She compared my life to a glass of water that had dirt in it. She said we easily stir up the dirt at the top when we first begin chanting, but to get to the dirt (karma - things we want to change) on the bottom we had to really dig deeper. That was the day I sat down on a bright and beautiful day and determined to chant 10 hours to change this suffering. 


Believe me...I saw changes right away after that. I felt like I was walking on air for days.


The person who wrote me the email said they'd been chanting 15 minutes a day for some time. I think 15 minutes a day is great, and your life will tell you when you're ready to chant for longer periods of time. Perhaps that is what this person should do...increase their level of daimoku. And study! And go to as many meetings as possible, and encourage others to chant. If your benefits slow down...that is the time to dig deeper, go further, be even more determined than ever you show proof of the power of this practice, and don't give up!!!!

Chant to Open the Way Forward

How do you chant when you really don't know what to chant for? What if you feel stuck and there doesn't seem to be a good solution...at least one that you can think of? 


You can chant to open the way forward and keep increasing your capacity to help more and more people. 


I chanted to increase my capacity and my territory was expanded three times at work. I am making new friends and have the chance to use my talents on two new campuses. And through this transition I am focusing on several things. The first is to honor and praise my life. My drive time is over a half hour to these new campuses, so I'm chanting an hour before I leave and then all the way in the car. 
The second is to open the way forward into my expanded capacity to fulfill my vow as a Boddhisatva of the earth. I don't have to know this very second how it is all going to turn out. I just have to keep focused on fulfilling my vow and moving forward every day...seeing my district members grow, and hearing from the readers of this blog. 


I am interested in you. Do you have things you would like me to write about? Do you have experiences you would like me to share on the blog? Do you have questions?  Please let me know. This blog is for YOU. 

Hope is Life's Treasure

The purpose of this blog is to give you hope....to keep that fire burning in you --- even when it seems like everything is rising up against you. Hope is the most important thing. It is important for me. It is important for you. It is important for all those around you that you maintain hope!
I hope you enjoy this poem as much as I do.
I am reading it over and over as I face the challenges in my life!
Enjoy!

Daisaku Ikeda wrote this for us on January 2nd, 2012...his 84th birthday.

 "Hope Is Life's Treasure"

Hope is
life's treasure.


Those
who have hope
are always happy.


One can have
all the wealth, power and fame
in the world,
but if one loses hope,
one will falter and stumble
in life.


The ancient Roman orator
Cicero wrote:
"Our capital is invested in hope
rather than in money;
if that hope be abandoned,
all else will be amassed
only to be lost later on."


The arrogant
who ridicule the hopeful
invariably fall in defeat,
left with naught but regret.


On no account
must we ruin
our lives,
which shine with such promise!


Hope is
a jewel that inspires and uplifts.
As long as we have hope,
we will never be deadlocked.


Victory always awaits
and happy smiles spread
where there is hope.


In the words of
the admirable Wangari Maathai,
the Kenyan environmental activist
and friend whom my wife and I
will never forget:
"Hope is like a flower,
which, when it blooms,
does so no matter
what mood it's in
or who is watching.
It always gives its best.
We can too."


Hope is
a flower that blossoms
in effort and perseverance.
Hope is
the noble visible reward
of those who accumulate unseen virtue.


People who live out their lives
with hope
never become jaded
or apathetic.


A contributive life
of giving hope
to those who are suffering
is a source of growth,
fulfillment,
learning,
creativity
and solidarity.


The great Spanish author
Miguel de Cervantes wrote,
"Just as light shines
more brightly in darkness,
so hope should be
more steadfast in trials."


Hope is the hallmark
of invincible fortitude.
Life is a struggle -
hence, our challenge is to live
with optimism and strength,
year after year.


InazoNitobe,
the great Tohoku-born educator,
friend of first Soka Gakkai president
Tsunesaburo Makiguchi,
declared that hope
can be found
even in the darkest gloom.


Such hope, he said,
is "visible only
to the eye of
faith and courage."


Even while imprisones dor his beliefs,
President Makiguchi wrote serenely,
"Depending on one's frame of mind,
even hell can be enjoyable."


Josei Toda later said
in gratitude to his martyred mentor,
"In your vast and boundless compassion,
you let me accompany you
even to prison."


As the third Soka Gakkai president,
I have steadfastly walked
the profoundly solemn
path of selfless dedication
of mentor and disciple.


I have given my life
to realizing all
the cherished hopes of
my mentor.
My heart is clear and bright,
without a cloud of regret.


As Nichiren Daishonin writes,
"The sun breaks through
the pitch-black dark."
Courageous faith is
the sun of limitless hope.


Mentor and disciple
committed to the noblest cause
will rise above all trials and adversity;
the unsurpassed brilliance of their lives
shining on forever.


Infinite hope!
The mystic law is the source.
A boundless state of life!
Faith and practice are the key.


In the Lotus Sutra,
we find these truly generous words:
"We beg that the merit (we have) gained...
may be spread far and wide to everyone,
so that we and other beings
all together may attain the Buddha way."


Kosen-rufu us
the supreme and colossal hope
of elevating
all humanity
to a vast life-state
of peace and happiness.


Ah---
Hope! Hope! Hope!
Hope is life's treasure.


At the start of a new year,
a new day,
let us set forth,
brimming with bright hope,
the sun of time without beginning
brimming in our hearts!


Let us boldly break through
even the deepest turmoil
of these troubled times,
and be the ones to create new hope!


Let us advance in triumph,
imparting the hope
of absolute victory
to one person after another!


The French writer and activist
Romain Rolland said,
"The last hope of our day
lies in youth."


I now wish to declare for all to hear:
"The greatest hope for the future lies in Soka youth."


My young friends,
never be defeated!


No matter what trials and hardships
may befall you,
never lose sight of
the golden light of hope!


Oh my friends,
my beloved friends
whom I trust with all my heart,
live out your lives with hope!
Be victorious without fail!


Daisaku Ikeda
--on my 84th birthday,
January 2nd, 2012







 

Treasures of the Heart

Valentine's Day is always a challenging day for me...here we are in the middle of winter...it's dark...dreary...and I am mindful of the people who used to be in my life who have died...so I chanted really strongly this morning, and came home after work and headed straight for the Gohonzon...vowing one more time to be absolutely happy for the sake of Kosen Rufu...

And now I'm taking a moment to share the following with you:

As Nichiren Daishonin says, the treasures of the heart are most important of all. 

This is the Valentine I received today from my sweet Benjamin who is a freshman at Miami University of Ohio. 

He wrote this for me, and gave me permission to share it with you:

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!

You make me strong

You make me creative

You make me compassionate

You make me courageous

You brighten my world from an uninspired monotony

You help me see beyond my narrow-mindedness

You love me fully even when I am difficult

You accept me fully not just my future potential

Its amazing to have a mom like you

...unbelievable really

I don't know who I would be today

If I didn't have your love and support

Love You Mom!

Ben

What beautiful words from my spectacular boy. I love words more than anything...more than flowers (well, I love flowers too) and more than almost anything else!

Sending all my love out to you, my blog readers! May you bask in whatever love means to you today...all day...and every day! Love Jamie

A great experience of someone who reconnected with the SGI

Here is an experience I received just the other day... so inspiring!!! Hi, I feel so fortunate to have found your blog.~!  You are my inspiration.  I read it everyday, & the entry  "What does Nam Myoho Renge Kyo mean?" often.   You help me to stay focused.  I finally noticed the link to finding SGI-USA.org Saturday. I immediately called the number,  & I went to the meeting/service today = Sunday.   I'm excited to be embarking on a new journey.  I have been chanting at home alone since September,  like 2X /day for at least 10 minutes.  I learned how to chant "Nam Myoho Renge Kyo"  & received Gohonzon in 1992  in Rancho Cucamonga CA.  I can not do any of the whole prayer  that they did at Center this morning.   Thank You for reading this.  I started chanting hoping to find happiness,  it is already here.  Now, if i could just find the right man  to share my happy life with.....  Sincerely John St Louis, MO

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

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

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

Voice Recorder >>

The Clear Mirror Guidance from Daisaku Ikeda to Share with You!

This is the month we traditionally reread, reread and reread the Clear Mirror Guidance from Daisaku Ikeda. So I've attached it here for you! Although Daisaku Ikeda originally wrote this message for women. It is for us all. It brings the law of cause and effect to life. 


Enjoy! Click Below for the Clear Mirror Guidance...absolutely fantastic!!


http://www.sgi-usa.org/memberresources/womensdivision/docs/2010/WT_Clear%20Mirror.pdf 

Expanding My Capacity

Enjoying my life! I went to an "Alien" party this weekend...see the antennae? I think I was just BORN to wear them!!!


Today begins a bold new journey of expanding my capacity. I am taking on two new campuses as part of my job responsibilities. Today I go to the campus in the northern part of the Chicago Area. I will be meeting my new team, and have various responsibilities and events I intend to fulfill with them. 


So this morning I greet my life in front of the Gohonzon and chant like this: 
ALL POSITIVITY !!! No complaints! 
Banish any negative thought in my head! I appreciate this opportunity to make new friends, expand my mission, be the Buddha, have an impact on these students, administrators and educator's lives! I will shine like the sun. Just like the the quote I put in my signature at the bottom of my emails 
"When One sun rises everything is illuminated" 
by Daisaku Ikeda. 


Today I am also thinking of the magnificent Gene Marie O'Connell. She was my chapter leader in the SGI when I was a "baby Buddhist" in San Francisco. I personally saw her rise from the ranks of nursing student to nursing administrator to CEO of the largest hospital in San Francisco...the one responsible for helping everyone in the city. She constantly asked herself "What would President Ikeda do in this situation?" Every day. She was, and still is, an inspiring example of what is possible when you are determined to manifest your own Buddhahood at every moment of every day. Thank you Gene!


That is how I set out today...with the sun in my heart...with Daisaku Ikeda at my side. 
I wish you all a magnificent, powerful, fulfilling day!!!

What is this Blog about? Happiness...Buddhahood!

Hi welcome to the blog chantforhappiness.com
If you're a returning reader welcome back, and if you're a new reader let me give you a taste of what this blog is all about.


This blog is all about revealing your own life as the life of the universe with all its power and majesty. It is, according to many, the truest form of Buddhism that exists. There are no intermediaries...no priests...no rules and no one telling anyone what to do. It is based on the deep desire for the happiness of all people, based on each individual taking responsibility for their own happiness.


The primary practice is the chanting of the words:

Nam Myoho Renge Kyo

These words mean I devote my life (Nam) to the Mystic, unfathomable, (Myo) Law (Ho) of Cause and Effect (Renge, literally Lotus flower) Sutra, or teaching or vibration (kyo)


~~Again:  I devote my life to the mystic law of cause and effect through sound vibration. It is the name of the rhythm of life itself...the same rhythm that turns the tides...moves the seasons...pulses in us and in every single thing at every moment of every single day. It is a literal calling forth of the name of the rhythm of life. You know how important it is to call something by its name. If you don't use its name it won't respond. Well this is the name of the law of life itself...the law of cause and effect. When you chant these words you tap into the power that is within you in a very profound way.


This morning I attended a meeting with my two new friends who just started chanting. They both told the rest of the group about the way their lives have been going since they started chanting...both of them talked about being in rhythm...naturally...and attracting just what they need at exactly the right moment. One is a healer/physician/surgeon. The other is a musician/songwriter/computer genius. It is so exciting seeing their lives expanding and growing...increasing in capacity...expanding to all that is possible. They loved attending this gathering of SGI Buddhists. When we practice together our benefits expand exponentially. Please give yourself the gift of attending SGI meetings and getting to know your new friends! Go to SGI-USA.org to find your local center, give them a call and get connected to someone by you!