Time to Celebrate - How to BREAKTHROUGH!

I published this about a month ago and think it's a good time to run it again. 
It's a great blog to pass along to encourage people. 

I'm celebrating today! All time readership of this blog just went over 60,000! (New number as of today, 8/10/12) 

Thank you so much! Thank you for passing the link chantforhappiness.com 
on to your fellow members, friends, family and anyone you want to introduce to this practice! 

And thank you for passing it on to people who speak languages other than English since there's a translation button on the upper left corner! And thank you so much for writing me! I love knowing what is on your mind and I adore hearing your successes! I am so grateful to you!

What can you accomplish through chanting? Nam Myoho Renge Kyo is bigger than your biggest problem. There was a great experience in a recent World Tribune. A girl with a very heavy heart and lots of troubles went to her first SGI meeting. A member who had been chanting for many years had her hold up her baby finger, and she told her "All your troubles will be as tiny as your baby finger compared to the power of chanting Nam Myoho Renge Kyo." And that's the truth! 

What are some examples of the things I have personally seen change for people? 

I'll start with my own benefits for you.

There are three categories of "treasures" in Buddhism - the most important is the treasure of the heart:
Here are some Benefits of developing the treasure of the heart:

I have cured in my own life:

Hopelessness
Depression
Anxiety
Sadness
Fear! 
Loneliness - I went from having very few friends to having many friends, and to being happier on my own too. 
I have resolved every conflict in the workplace and in my personal life very quickly
I have no more need to be eating all the time
I have alleviated the endless hunger for everything, that constant longing for what I cannot have for whatever reason. 
I've lost 50 pounds and feel younger and stronger than ever.
I am working on publishing a book that will help many people learn to chant. This, along with the blog you are reading now is my greatest passion....helping people alleviate their suffering. 
I have peace of mind! Aaaahhh!

Other treasures of the heart:

One of my members stopped his pattern of constant worrying and never worries anymore.
One member overcame her deep dark depression, and all of the members in my district have greatly alleviated their anxiety.
They face their problems head-on and together we break through them! 

I've seen many members get the jobs of their dreams...overcome fear of public speaking...overcome many fears. 

The list goes on and on.....

There are also treasures of the storehouse...and things that people want to have and accomplish.

I remember chanting for my first car. I chanted for a reliable car for Kosen Rufu (world peace) so that I could drive people to meetings in San Francisco. 
I chanted for a beautiful house to hold Buddhist meetings in...one that would inspire people that anything was possible!
 I'll never forget the looks on the movers faces when they arrived at my beautiful kosen rufu home on the hill with the gorgeous view! It was such a contrast from my tiny little apartment on lower Nob Hill (Upper Tenderloin for those in the know) in San Francisco! 
And I've chanted for financial benefits. We need money to live and to give us opportunities. Without money I could not have brought my Buddha boys to California this spring! It is not some kind of "sin" to chant for money. Money is necessary. 

Oh there are soooo many things... feeling...experiences that you can chant for. And the biggest benefit of all is that as you are chanting for these things you are developing a stronger sense of self...a stronger inner core...a strength so powerful that NO PROBLEM CAN DEFEAT YOU. EVER. That is truly the best benefit. 
And remember that when you chant you are not asking anyone for anything...you are drawing power from your own precious life! Go YOU!

I wish I had more time but I have to run out the door to my job! 
Please keep writing me. Let me know what you'd like to hear about! Let me know your successes! Nam Myoho Renge Kyo !!!!

SGI Meetings ROCK!!!! Tips for Guests!

We had an Amazing SGI (Soka Gakkai) 

meeting in my apartment tonight! 

We had seven guests and eight Members! 

Next Wednesday Amisha will be getting her Gohonzon so she won't be a guest anymore!

Introducing others to this practice is easy! I constantly chant for my life to be a shining example that this practice works, and to meet the people who want to hear about it! 

About a month ago I went to a going away party in Oak Park. I met a woman named Susan and we started talking about our kids. Her daughter is 16 years old. I remember what being sixteen years old was like for me. It wasn't the best of times. I was seeking the Gohonzon, but could only find those forms of Buddhism that said you had to alleviate your desires to be happy, and there was NO WAY I wanted to do that. But how I would have loved to be able to chant to overcome my problems as a teen. It brings me such incredible joy to introduce young people! I shared with her some stories about my sons and the things they had chanted for in High School. And I shared Shazara's story of overcoming being bullied, and Susan was intrigued. She asked her daughter if she wanted to come and her daughter brought two friends! Welcome to Zoe and Dania and Josh and Susan! And welcome to our new friends Kamala and Gita and Amisha!

All of us, Bhavia, Kathy, Alex, Varsha, Debbie, Christine, Pamela and I (and all the members who couldn't be at this meeting) welcome you! 

We chanted together for half an hour, then sat in a circle and talked about this practice and 

what makes it different than any other practice:

Nam Myoho Renge Kyo means "I fuse my life with the mystic law of cause and effect through sound vibration" It is the name of the rhythm of life itself. Chanting these words "syncs" your life with the universe itself  to draw  forth your highest potential! 

Chant for what you want - make a list - chant for what you REALLY want. And if you don't know what you want...chant to know what you want! 

It is the law of the universe! It doesn't matter if you believe in it or not. 

It is based on receiving actual proof - that is the most important thing. 

Keep chanting for what you want! Do not give up. 

There is no deity. You are addressing YOUR OWN LIFE when you chant! 

Your life is a reflection of who you are on the inside including all the good and bad causes you've made throughout every lifetime you've ever lived. Chanting Nam Myoho Renge Kyo is the most powerful GOOD CAUSE you can possibly make. It will change your karma forever. 

You do not have to understand why you have your problems. You just have to chant to change them! 

We look at problems as good things - they will lead to greater understanding and BENEFIT!

We chant every day - twice a day. The more consistently you chant the easier it is to chant! 

All of these guests are beginning a new journey in their own lives in the most wonderful organization of people who are filled with love in their hearts. 

If you haven't connected to the Soka Gakkai in your area please do! Search on Soka Gakkai, or go to SGI-USA.org and call your local center and go to a meeting! You will be so glad you did!!! 

Receiving Your Gohonzon

I spent the evening with two of my newest friends. Neither of them have their Gohonzon yet, but they will within a few months. 

I explained to them that getting your Gohonzon is like finally having a HOME within your HOME! And it's a process and a party! 

You can make of it what you wish! 

How do you receive a Gohonzon? 

You can't buy it! 
It is bestowed upon you for your life by the Soka Gakkai. 

I can't speak for how it works in other countries, but I can tell you how you get a Gohonzon here in America. 

First of all you begin practicing and you go to meetings regularly. You begin learning Gongyo (the recitation of the Lotus Sutra we recite every morning and evening). And you chant as much as you can. Then you decide where you will put your "home within your home". You choose a wall with no window too close by. You have to make sure nothing is above the Gohonzon. You get a Butsudan (box or "house" for your Gohonzon". You can get this at the local SGI Buddhist Center or at SGI-USA.org. You can also search for one on the web, or you may find a local member who will sell or give you theirs when they upgrade. 
Then you prepare your altar area with fruit, a plant or greens if you wish, and my favorite thing: a bell! I love the sound of the bell!
I will post a picture later. 

You fill out your application, get it signed and pay a nominal fee. 

The day you get your Gohonzon will forever be a significant date for you. Every year on the anniversary of that date I chant for as long as I like and rewrite my goals and determinations and honor my life! I usually connect with my mentors in faith on that day too. 

You receive your Gohonzon in a ceremony at a meeting, then  soon after that have an enshrinement ceremony at your home. 

You can make it a party if you wish! It is a glorious day! 

I'll write more later, I have to run! 

It is a Gorgeous Day Today! Chant for ANYTHING YOU WANT!!!

The view from my terrace.

It's just a wonderful day. I am filled with confidence and optimism. I had a great weekend with my family and with YOU, my readers. I answered a lot of emails and that makes me feel so good. I chanted with many members. Every moment of my life is a cause for good! And because I know that life is cause and effect, I know that my life is progressing just as it should. 

On Friday, and part of last week I was kind of worried about some impending bad health news. On Friday I heard pretty much what I expected. It wasn't great. It wasn't life threatening. It won't stop me from being productive and working. I just have to go through regular chiropractic and do some physical therapy. I will turn poison into medicine! My back has been in pain for a long time. Through these treatments I will greatly alleviate the pain.  And you know what? I am a Buddhist. I can ROAR like a LION and I will! 

"Nam Myoho Renge Kyo is like the roar of a lion, what sickness can therefor be an obstacle?"

I have witnessed many people overcoming things that are so much worse. 

In a recent World Tribune there was an experience of a man diagnosed with MS. Through his determination he has gone many years with hardly any symptoms at all. I have seen my friend Julia go from a state of almost dying, to one of vibrant health in less than two years. She's working again, she's bringing forth her incredible talent as a musician and getting healthier  every single day!

Today is a gloriously beautiful day. Ben is still in town for one more week, and one of my shakubukus us coming over to chant tonight. What could be better? 

There's a common thread in your emails to me. It seems that many of you find it hard to believe that you can truly chant for anything that you want. You are censoring your desires and saying "No, I really should not have that desire." and I want to tell you again that all your desires are good. 

Even if you THINK what you want may be unobtainable or somehow not worthy of your Daimoku, and even if you feel guilty for having this desire, please realize that Earthly Desires are Enlightenment. Chanting for what YOUR REALLY WANT, and chanting to raise your life condition will lead you to the enlightened state where you will be able to see over your desires, and be free of suffering. 

Seriously, it worked for me. I chanted many years for a desire many would have said I should not have. But I did. And I chanted sincerely. I am a stronger and wiser person now...a better person for chanting for those desires. Do not doubt your heart. Do not doubt your prayer. 

Nam Myoho Renge Kyo is unlimited. 

Chant to overcome your DISBELIEF!!! 

Chant to overcome your DISBELIEF!!! 

You are unlimited! 

Rid yourself of guilt. 

Chant that you can have your desires fulfilled so that you can lead others to Nam Myoho Renge Kyo and the Soka Gakkai! Chant to show actual proof of this practice and you can't go wrong!!!

The Parakeet Who Came to Stay

This little guy is causing quite a stir. 

I've shown you pictures from my patio. I face a pond and a clubhouse. There's a walkway that goes right past my patio. And now, people stop frequently and look at this little bird. He's not really "mine", but he has come to stay. He's not meant to live in the wild. But he does. He lives in the bushes to the right and left of my patio, and I feed him every day. He can't really fly. His wings are clipped. But just like the other wildlife that congregates outside my door, I wonder if the lovely sound of my Daimoku has attracted him. 

I'm sitting here on my patio after a full Sunday. Aaron, Ben, Paul and my sister and brother-in-law were here. It's probably the last time we'll be together before Ben goes back to Miami of Ohio for his Sophomore year. He's running again and hopes to run with the team. I'll keep you updated. He's been staying with me and it's been great chanting with him every day. 
Aaron was here telling us all about his first week of Medical School. He is so happy. I hope he stays happy even after classes start. 
I have been working on my book for you. Almost every moment I can hear the voices in my head telling me I can never do this, or that my writing is terrible...or other negative things. My evil twin is full of negativity but I am determined to win.

I have to win for all of the people who are still looking for the solution to their problems. So many people are seeking this practice. 
I want people seeking solutions to be able to walk into the bookstore, or search in Amazon and say "Hmmm...what is this? Maybe I should check this book out." Then something I've written will hit them, and they'll try chanting, and connect to the Soka Gakkai, and become happier than they ever dreamed possible!

How to teach Gongyo!

There is nothing, nothing, nothing that makes me happier than introducing people to this incredible key to happiness. I spent several hours today with the new friend I introduced last week. Today we chanted together this morning. This evening we spent some time learning gongyo. It's so easy to teach gongyo. All I do is start with the first part. I teach using a method I call echo gongyo.


First I explain that the characters above the words represent beats.
There are a few exceptions,
Shari of shari-hotsu is fast, even though it has two beats above it.


I also talk about how each vowel and each consonant always have the same pronunciation: y is always ye, g is always guh etc.


Then we start what I call Echo Gongo.


The pace is not speedy, but is also not as slow as when we do "Slow Gongyo". Since it's echo gongyo we can go a little faster. Anyone who has ever taught using the "slow gongyo" method (where both teacher and student slowly recite together) knows how torturous it can be, both for the teacher and the learner. It is harder for the student to learn correctly and very difficult for the teacher to stay awake!


Teaching gongyo using "Echo gongyo" is fun. 
It's like learning music.
And it's easier to learn it perfectly the FIRST TIME. Relearning incorrect gongyo is mighty difficult, and perfect gongyo is so much fun to do!!!


Here's how I teach Echo Gongyo - and this can be done one-on one or in a group:


I slowly recite a line while moving my finger under each syllable.


Then the person I am teaching recites the same line along with me.
When we finish the page we do the whole page together.


We do the next page the same way.


When we finish the section we do the whole section all the way through together.
It is amazing how fast people can learn using this method!


If someone is having a particularly hard time in a section, I recommend they circle it or make a note they will understand...just like learning music!  


I do the second section at another time. Learning each section at a time is a good way to do this. It is so much easier than it looks. Using echo gongyo really helps people feel gongyo and enjoy doing it from the very beginning!


I will be making a video for you of echo gongyo.


Do you have any questions?

I love, love, love this Quote from Sensei! Enjoy!

Happiness
by Daisaku Ikeda

The purpose of life is to attain happiness.
Happiness is something you have to feel inside.
It is something you have to build for yourself.
It is something that lives within you.
That is why the state of your inner realm, your life,
is so crucial to your being happy.
Happiness is not in some far off place.
Happiness exists within your own life.
It is within a single thought in your mind.
You, yourself are the most precious of all.
You have no need to be envious of anyone
or to long for things far away.
Faith and one's single minded desire
to achieve Kosen Rufu (world peace)
are what makes this self of yours shine its brightest
and develop its highest potential;
they are what fill you with good fortune,
satisfaction and eternal joy.
This is the essence of true happiness,
A palace exists within your own life.
When you open that palace
you can be happy wherever you are.

If You're Struggling ...

Please remember what Nichiren Daishonin says:


"Winter Always Turns to Spring"


And sometimes the saying "It's always darkest before the dawn" is all too true. 


You WILL break through. You WILL be happy. You will probably remember this time as the time you REALLY changed your life. Problems and challenges are FUEL for your growth and happiness. But sometimes it does not feel that way, does it? 


I know!


Believe in the power of your own prayer. 


Believe in the power in your own Life! 


And keep chanting! DO NOT GIVE UP!!!!!


Chant for the type of benefit that will strengthen your faith. 


Chant to strengthen your faith and your life!!!!


Keep chanting!


Keep introducing others to the practice and telling people about Nam Myoho Renge Kyo! It doesn't matter if they decide to start chanting today. I have many friends who started chanting after I'd known them for 20 years! When you tell people about the practice you are planting a seed in their lives, and changing your OWN karma. 


I carry Nam Myoho Renge Kyo cards with me everywhere I go.  And I give them to people who help me in stores, and people I encounter casually. I just say "This is the secret to happiness and bringing out your highest potential. You can chant for anything you want."


Have a great day!!

From Daisaku Ikeda to all of us

"Seen from the perspective of faith and Buddhism,

everything has profound meaning.

There is no need whatsoever

for us to vacillate between elation and despair

at each turn of events.

There is no such thing

as a storm

that will continue blowing and wreaking havoc without end.

In the same way,

there is no hardship that will continue forever.

There are clear days and there are rainy days.

If we are swayed by our environment,

rejoicing one moment and despairing the next

amid ever-changing circumstances,

then we will not be able to accomplish

a true revolution

in our state of life.

The important thing is to always believe in the Mystic Law and to enter the powerful orbit of faith, practice and study. Entering this orbit--the orbit of human revolution and of changing our karma --is the way to construct a life of good fortune and happiness that will endure throughout eternity. No matter what happens, we will enjoy the unerring protection of the Gohonzon. Instead of drawing conclusions about the world of faith from a superficial viewpoint, we need to calmly discern the true reality and significance of things and keep pressing forward.

With the passage of time, it will definitely become clear that everything has unfolded in the best possible manner."

From The Hope Filled Teachings of Nichiren Daishonin, page 277, from his essay on the Gosho "A Warning Against Begrudging One's Fief."

Great Quote from Daisaku Ikeda

“People who love

with the most all-consuming fervor

are those

who live life

to the fullest,

regardless

of how long

the physical existence lasts.

To invest

one’s heart and soul

in caring for others,

to burn with passionate love for humanity,

is what Buddhists call

the Boddhisatva Way.”

I believe

this kind of perfect life

constitutes the way

to optimal health

and true longevity.”

Daisaku Ikeda

A New Friend and Buddhist

This Saturday...the view from my patio...

Here I was looking at the clouds and feeling appreciative. I was loving the fact that I could just sit here, on a Saturday night, all by myself, enjoying my own company and not longing to be anywhere else or with anyone else. I wasn't longing for ANYTHING! I felt totally at peace and happy. 

A woman was walking on the walkway in front of my patio. She stopped for a moment and we smiled at each other. I said "Aren't the clouds amazing? What a beautiful evening!" The next thing I knew she was sitting next to me with tears flowing from her eyes. She was in the exact same emotional  state of longing and heart break that I have experienced in the past. Longing...pain... both emotional and physical. The more we talked the more our similar situations were revealed. But I was on the other side of this pain and able to give her hope. 

"I know! I know!" I told her. "I felt exactly the same way! And I chanted Nam Myoho Renge Kyo and used that pain as a springboard for creating happiness in my life. I know it's hard to believe, but one day you may thank this man in your heart...because this pain has led you to discover the way to be happy, and you have encountered this incredible practice for the first time!"

 I invited her in to chant. We chanted three Daimoku and I gave her the gong for the bell. I told her when she was finished chanting she could ring it and we would stop.  We chanted for about 15 minutes. She felt better immediately...but was still raw from her recent heart break. Then on Sunday she came to the Chicago Buddhist Center with me to hear Linda Johnson speak. 

Then last night she joined me and a fellow member and chanted almost a full hour of Daimoku...really surprising herself! She told me that today, because of chanting this weekend, she was able to focus at work, be productive and she had a good day! Wonderful! She is on her way to healing! 

I am chanting for her to have a lifetime of happiness now that she has encountered this practice. I KNOW she can get over her broken heart and create a deeper level of happiness not based on anyone or anybody. 

There are no coincidences!!!! There is nothing, truly, that makes me happier than introducing someone to the mystic law. I know my new friend will never be the same. She WILL become happy, and she will be able to fulfill her own mission of helping others! Doing Shakubuku is such a joy!

Aaron's First Day of Medical School!

Aaron and me last night. Paul took the artsy/crooked photo!

Aaron posted on Facebook yesterday: 

"Tomorrow I begin the first day of 17th Grade!" 

Today is his first day at the Stritch School of Medicine at Loyola. 

We are all so proud and happy.

What a wonderful coincidence that this is happening on the exact day that I began this blog three years ago. 

What tremendous actual proof!!

And last night we went over 7,000 readers for the month! 

Thank YOU for spreading the word! 

If you want to be a guest writer let me know!

Have a great Monday!

Happy Three Year Anniversary of this blog! Here is a reprint from 7/30/09:

Join me!
I chant Nam Myoho Renge Kyo (pronounced Nahm Meeyoho Raingay Kyo)
It means - I fuse my life with the law of cause and effect through sound vibration, or I am one with the flow of life, or I am the Buddha myself! Chanting these words has a profound and practical impact on my life....and it can on anyone's life.
When you chant these words you tap into the eternal universe that's already inside you...the one you know is there, that you've always known is there. Chanting these words allows you to tap the great power you have always had.
On October 20th of 2009 I will have been chanting these words every day...twice a day for 25 years! Between now and October 20th I will be chanting two hours every single day. By October 20th I will have chanted a million daimoku (pron: diemoku, and it means chanting Nam Myoho Renge Kyo over and over) with a goal to accomplish many dreams: (As you know I continued chanting and continued blogging after October 20th 2009)
Here are my determinations: (from 2009, July 30th)
I wish to inspire others through sharing my heart, my struggles and my successes.
I wish to share the heart of my mentor Daisaku Ikeda (President of the Soka Gakkai International) with the world.
I will release my life from the underlying sadness I have always felt...the sadness that has no name and no real cause. I believe I was born with this sadness, and that it is my mission in this life to free myself from it.
I will have a body that is pain free! I will be able to move in any way I want. For several years I have been battling with a painful right leg. I believe it is arthritis, but I keep thinking I can solve the pain through some other means than surgery. I have never had surgery and never want to have it! (As many of you know I DID have the surgery - it was the only solution - and I have been happily pain free for 2 years. I shared my story with my Dad and he is pain free and walking more than ever after HIS surgery!)
I will be on the way to losing the rest of the weight I've been challenged with my entire life. (I've already lost 50 pounds).


I will naturally attract opportunities that delight me!


I will make lots of new friends and connections!


I will become a published author!


7/29/12 As you know, I have been living pain free and I have released my life from the deep sadness. I am happy and writing my first book for you! This blog is now up to 7,000 readers a month! Thank you so much for copying the URL of your favorite posts and sending them on to your friends! It is because of YOU that this blog has grown!

How Do You Mend a Broken Heart?

This is a question that is on many of our minds. 
How do we mend a broken heart? How do we move on and attract that one person who is right for us...that one person we will choose to be with for this journey called life? Who will be our partner for Kosen Rufu (World Peace)?


Let's start by talking about what I'm hearing from you, and what I know from experiences of my own.


Break ups are painful. Heart ache actually hurts. I feel it in my belly...others feel it in the center of their body. Some people can't eat...others want to eat all the time. Some of us can't think...and can't even function. Some people have a hard time breathing and/or can't sleep at night.


We find ourselves asking "why...Why...WHY!" But we know, that even if we knew why...it wouldn't matter, it wouldn't help, it would still hurt.


So what can I tell you about practicing Buddhism and getting over a broken heart? A lot.


Do any of you remember why I first began this blog? Yup. Heart Break. I was very aware that this heart break was tapping into sadness that I had carried with me into this life...an underlying sadness that was always with me in some form or other, and had bloomed and blossomed with my broken heart.


So I started with making a determination to change this karma forever...I chanted to be happy no matter what. I chanted to tear this sadness out by the roots. Remember, it's not important to know all the WHYS. It is only important to make the determination to become happy in the depths of your being. We are Buddhas revealing the depths of our own Buddhahood.  This is a good start for getting over a broken heart...
We must all realize that right now...at this moment when we are chanting...that we have the ultimate tool to make our lives happy forever. No Matter WHAT!!! 


A few other tips for getting over a broken heart:


Make a list of ALL THE THINGS YOU WILL NOT MISS about the person, and the situation. Keep it handy and read it often. And every time you find yourself thinking "Why me?" Think "Nam Myoho Renge Kyo! and NEXT" 


Strengthen your faith more than ever! 


And stay BUSY!!! 


Do any of you have stories to share?

More Congratulations for Tania and a reader question

This question was sent by a reader yesterday:


Tania, congrats! I was at a new members meeting tonight and thinking that my time may soon come. Well, I'm not officially a member, still a guest. I had a question for this blog that Jamie can answer. How does chanting affect our subconscious mind? Can it heal our subconsciousness so that we are able to behave differently? This came up in the meeting tonight and would love to see a post on it. Because there is so much talk about our subconscious thoughts sabotaging our lives in new age thinking and books. THANK YOU!! 


I will do my best to answer this question based on my own experience and knowledge of Buddhism. I have also asked my dear friend Julia to make a comment on this question. She will be able to give us her insights in a few days. She is a therapist and practicing SGI Buddhist so I'm sure she'll have an interesting post for us. 


My answer:


From my own experience I can say that my subconscious mind has definitely changed through practicing Buddhism, and that this key factor is one of the MAIN POINTS of practicing. 


When I first started chanting I got my Gohonzon as soon as I possibly could. I realized the value of having the highest life condition...my highest potential in front of me as I chanted! 


 I thought of myself as a pretty positive person, but as I learned through my Daimoku (chanting of Nam Myoho Renge Kyo)  as my subconscious mind was revealed to me by my strong prayer, I realized I was actually pretty terrified and angry a lot of the time. 


When you chant your inner life comes forth so you can see it. 


Chanting is like looking into a mirror of your inner life. 


When you see what is revealed, you have the ultimate choice... 
Do you look your life square in the eye and say "I AM THE BUDDHA! I will not tolerate this behavior or these thoughts any longer?  I am determined to change this aspect of my life." 

And when we change our inner life, our environment HAS to change to reflect our inner change. This is the core of what we call Human Revolution.


Human Revolution is not easy. It means retraining the subconscious mind....resetting the DNA...changing behaviors that we've been used to our whole lives. It is one of the reasons we practice together in the SGI - so we can support each other! 


It's so much easier to do what most of the rest of the world does : blame their circumstances...blame something in their environment. 


This outlook will not change anything! 


This is the profound truth of Practical Buddhism. All the answers lie by changing our inner life. That is where you get leverage over our lives. But it takes real courage. REAL courage. And sometimes tears. 
For some people it is very difficult, and some embrace the challenge! 

We can run away from the truth in our lives or we can say "Wow! I have discovered something I can change!" and then chant to change it. 


I have totally changed my nature. This does not make my perfect by any means...there will always be aspects I am still working on...


But the fact that I challenge my life every single day makes me a roaring lion. I will not tolerate anything but an excellent, happy, productive life of continuously becoming more happy and helping others become happy as well! I vow to accomplish this every day so that I can be an example of what is possible through chanting Nam Myoho Renge Kyo. 


One of the biggest changes I've focused on has been the way I speak to myself in my head. My subconscious voice was often pretty angry at myself. I began to listen carefully to how I addressed myself and  how I talked about myself. I realized I used the word "idiot" and the word "stupid" quite a bit, even though if you asked me, I never would have said I thought of myself as either idiotic or stupid. But my subconscious mind did! So I determined to change the way I spoke to myself. I chanted about it, and I changed the behavior. I am now much more of a cheerleader in my head...GO Jamie Go! 


At the time I was also going through a program teaching energy healing. One of the requirements was to say "Jamie I love you" ten times before sleeping and ten times before getting out of bed. You'd think that would be easy but I was surprised by how difficult it was! 


For many years I was about 50-70 pounds heavier than I should have been for my tiny 5'1" frame. Not anymore!  I have changed that voice that was always telling me I'd feel "better" (emotionally) if I just ate something. The challenging part of it was that I DID feel better when I ate. Until I felt worse that is. Until my pants didn't fit...until the shame came on. 
It was a long journey and a long story I won't go into completely here, but I have now managed to maintain a healthy weight for several years. And I have stopped the voice telling me to eat...the cry of my subconscious mind for comfort. I have changed behaviors so I comfort myself in writing, in chanting, in meditation, walking and talking with my friends. This was not easy. It requires a tremendous shift in the subconscious and the conscious mind. 
This is just one example from my life. 
There are so many more...


Anyone care to share your thoughts? 

A Reader Gets Her Gohonzon!!!

This is a post from Tania Talwar who lives in Delhi. 
Tomorrow she will be receiving her own Gohonzon (Scroll inscribed by Nichiren Daishonin ~ it represents the highest life condition possible...the life condition that is inside of us that we access through chanting Nam Myoho Renge Kyo!) She is receiving it through the BSG in Delhi. The BSG (BSG.org) is the Indian name of the organization that is also known as the SGI International. For more information on how to connect with the life of Buddhism, meet many new friends and receive your own Gohonzon visit the website SGI.org to find the links to your local members.  


Here are Tania's words for you:




Thank you Jamie for giving me the opportunity to share something..

In 5 years of my practice, I never felt the urgency to get the Gohonzon. Because I had members all around, I would go to their place and chant in front of their Gohonzon.

Then one day I read Sensei's guidance. It said- Helping someone enshrine their Gohonzon is an event as wonderful as bringing Nichiren Daishonin to their home.

This quote really really encouraged me and I chanted very strongly that I should have my Gohonzon, my lifelong treasure with me.

And so I applied for it.

Then came the task of making a Butsudan (altar). I sincerely chanted that I should save my money and should get a beautiful altar made. To my surprise one of the fellow member gifted me her altar.(as she wanted to make a new one for herself)

I was so happy to receive it. Such a beautiful butsudan!!

In this phase I recognised many weaknesses of mine. The first step to overcome any weakness is to first recognise them, have the courage to accept it first. And I know myself, I will clean and polish my life with my gohonzon coming in my life!!

One of my leader told me that Gohonzon is our heart and Butsudan is our body! How can we not respect and believe in ourselves??

The gohonzon conferral is tomorrow and ill be chanting abundant diamoku so that everything falls in the right place.. 

Thank you

Congratulations Tania! Tomorrow is a new birthday for you! I will write more about the care of the Gohonzon soon. Please remember that since it represents your own life, it is very important to take good care of it, protect it and keep the area around it clean. You now will have a 'home' within your 'home'!!! 

Does Chanting Work for Everyone?

This is a question I received recently. 


And the answer is a resounding YES! 


But the caveat is, of course, you have to make it work. 


As Nichiren Daishonin says: "A Sword will be useless in the hands of a coward." And this is the truth. Please remember that you need to change your life on the inside to be able to make your outer circumstances shine. 


Chant to be able to change whatever it is INSIDE your life so that the results you desire will come to you!


Chant consistently, and that means every day, every morning and evening. If you don't chant consistently it is SOOOO much harder to chant. Your inner voices will overtake you at every turn. They will be yelling into your ear "Stop wasting your time chanting!" they will say. And "Chanting doesn't work!" But if you are chanting consistently, and studying, and meeting with fellow members, that voice will be largely drowned out by all the good that is coming into your life! 


You will never know until you try it. 


No matter how big your problems are - I promise you, the law of life, Nam Myoho Renge Kyo is bigger, but YOU have to make the determination and make it happen. 


You can do it!!! 

How to Chant to be Happy

This post is great for newcomers, and may have some fresh tips for those already practicing.

Welcome to the first day of the rest of your life!

Here you will learn how to chant Nam Myoho Renge Kyo!

First of all make a list of what you really want in life. Take a new look at your desires and write them down.  Dream big. What do you really want? What do you want for yourself? What do you want for others? What do you want for the world? Make a list. There is no such thing as a “bad” desire as long as you wish no harm on others. Many Buddhists began chanting with desires that later turned into other desires. Don’t worry about it. Chant for what is really in your heart. Be true to yourself. 

I suggest having some sort of journal to write in. Writing in a journal helps you become aware of your progress and benefits.

Choose a place to chant comfortably. You’ll want to sit in a comfortable chair. Where would you feel most at ease chanting out loud? It is helpful to have something on the wall to focus on. It's helpful to rest your eyes on something slightly above eye level. It can be anything. When I first started chanting in my little two room apartment in San Francisco, I sat on the mattress on the floor and gazed up at the moon in a poster of Mono Lake. Choose something soothing to rest your eyes on. I find it helpful to have a table nearby for my tea, and other things I like to have close when I chant. You may want to put a little table up as an altar, but you don’t need that to begin. 

Write the words Nam Myoho Renge Kyo on a piece of paper (or use the card enclosed in this book). The words are pronounced as follows: 

Nahm, rhymes with Mom, 

meeyohoh, with three long vowels, 

rain gay, 

key oh. 

Nam Myoho Renge Kyo. 

Nahm Meeyohoh Rain Gay Key Oh

Hold your hands with the palms facing in and touching each other in front of your heart. Sit with your back as straight as possible and say the words over and over and over again. 

You do not have to concentrate about what is in your mind at first. Just say the words. Breathe whenever you have to for as long as you like. See if you can chant for a few minutes, then a few minutes more. Chant for as long as you can!  

The rhythm should sound like a train moving, or horses running. There should be some energy to it. You can chant as fast or as slow as you wish. Speed of chanting is up to you. 

If you want to hear how it sounds you can go to the top left corner of this blog and chant with me. I begin slowly and speed up with more energy. 

See how it makes you feel. Can you chant for a little longer? Maybe even a little longer than that. Can you get to the point where you don’t have to think about the words, but can actually think about what you want? It may take a little time. Naturally you will begin to chant for what you want. You’ll see. 

When you are finished chanting you can write in your journal.

Start by writing an assessment of your life right now. What’s going well, what you’d like to improve on. Then write how you felt before chanting and after chanting. In your journal set a goal for how much you want to chant every day.  When I started, I could only chant five minutes a day in the morning and five minutes in the evening. I had a timer next to me and I’m sure there were times I stopped before I’d even reached five minutes! You will build up momentum! Commit to chant twice a day every day. Keep your goals in mind and you’ll remember your reasons for chanting! 

These words and this vibration go deep into the heart of your life itself. They summon forth your highest wisdom, vitality and sense of purpose. They also uproot the karma that is making you suffer, and give you the opportunity to change this karma forever. You will still have challenges and problems in life when you chant...but eventually you will see them as the opportunities they are. Problems are the FUEL you need to catapult your life into a life of happiness and joy. You have begun a journey to uncover the true happiness that exists in your shining Buddha life. Congratulations!
Also - make sure to search on Soka Gakkai followed by whatever country you live in. This site will help you to connect with people who will be happy to help you learn to chant, overcome your problems, and reveal your brilliant, wonderful self!  Fellow Soka Gakka members love to help each other. 
and go to IKEDAQUOTES.org to read Daisaku Ikeda's words. He is lighting the way for us all...and for YOU!