Getting rid of fear...a study of the TEN WORLDS

A reader sent me an email asking how to get rid of fear, and how to stop being insulted by her friends.

I know many of you have probably overcome some of these things in your own life. Feel free to write me or post a comment and I will share your insights with the other readers

Here's my answer, based on raising our LIFE CONDITION and knowing about the ten worlds:

Ultimately, I think fear and being injured by what people say are all symptoms of the same thing - a low life condition.

What is the term LIFE CONDITION?

It all goes back to the concept of the ten worlds. Here are the ten world from the lowest to the highest:

The Ten Worlds are: 

the world of hell; 

the world of hungry spirits (also called hunger); 

the world of animals (animality); 

the world of asuras (anger); 

the world of human beings (humanity or tranquillity); 

the world of heavenly beings (heaven or rapture); 

the world of voice-hearers (learning); 

the world of cause-awakened ones (realization); 

the world of bodhisattvas; 

and the world of Buddhas (Buddhahood).

These worlds are worlds that each of us experiences every single day. 

Nichiren Daishonin's Buddhism explains that each one of these worlds possesses each of the other ten worlds. 

Meaning....that the world of Hunger also possesses the world of Buddhahood. 

What does this mean? It means that there is an enlightened state of the world of Hunger...such as hunger for helping others. There is an enlightened state of Anger...such as righteous anger to make the world a better place. Take a look at these definitions with the thought in mind that YOU can raise your life condition to the highest state of Buddhahood. In fact, raising our life condition is the main reason we practice. When we are in the highest life condition nothing anyone says can bother us...in fact, those people are not even usually IN our lives. Our lives have become so strong and magnetic to good, that only people of high life conditions are around us. In a higher life condition we have NO FEAR. 

You can chant every single day to raise your life condition. This is a very powerful prayer. Chant to experience life as the BUDDHA YOU ARE!

Remember that the purpose of our practice is HUMAN REVOLUTION. That means changing our lives, fortifying our lives with the vibration of chanting nam Myoho Renge Kyo. When we chant we go up the life condition ladder to the world of Buddhahood. 

What is Buddhahood? 

It is living life with endless energy and vitality, where one greets each problem with appreciation and uses every challenge to deepen understanding and experience life with appreciation and compassion and a deep desire to help others. Buddhahood is a state of knowing your mission in life and advancing confidently along the chosen path of your dreams...having absolute faith in the power of your prayers, and a burning desire to use your life as an example so that you can inspire those around you to attain a state of absolute happiness along with you! In this state you have no FEAR! No one can INSULT you! You are a Buddha. We are in a constant state of revealing our Buddhahood!

Nichiren Daishonin writes: “Neither the pure land nor hell exists outside oneself; both lie only within one’s own heart. Awakened to this, one is called a Buddha; deluded about it, one is called an ordinary person."

What does this mean for us?  In one moment we may experience the misery characterized by the world of hell, in that same moment, through Buddhist practice, we can begin transforming our lives so that we can savor the deep, inexhaustible joy of the world of Buddhahood.

The World of Hell

Hell is a state of life in which one feels that living itself is suffering and that whatever one sees or encounters causes more suffering. In the world of hell we are controlled by destructive impulses. Violence and war are tangible expressions of the world of hell. It's a state where one is so unhappy that he doesn't care who he hurts. It is a world completely lacking in HOPE. When one begins to chant...and hope starts to dawn and one lift their life to a higher state. 

The World of Hunger

The world of hungry spirits, or hunger, is characterized by suffering over overwhelming unfulfilled desires. The world of hunger is a condition in which our mind and body burn with constant intense craving. Sound familiar? Each of us has a world we return to most frequently...a world where we "live". This is my world... constant unfulfilled desire and also a lack of hope. I am grateful to have been born into the world of HUNGER. If it weren't for this, I would not be practicing Buddhism! When I chant I raise myself out of this state. 

As I say over and over in this blog: desire in itself is neither good nor bad. Without a sense of hunger we would starve to death. Desires and wants lead us to self-improvement. In the world of hunger in hell, however, we are unable to use desires creatively. We become slaves to them and suffer as a result. When we raise our life condition we can experience the world of Buddhahood in Hunger and long for a world of happiness for others! 

The World of Animals (Animality)

From the SGI study guide of 2012:

The world of animals, or animality, is characterized by motivation based on immediate gain or loss rather than on reason or logic. Nichiren Daishonin says, “Foolishness is [the world] of animals” (“The Object of Devotion for Observing the Mind,” WND-1, 358). When in the state of animality, one acts based on instinct or impulse, unable to distinguish between right and wrong, good and evil.

Nichiren also writes, “It is the nature of beasts to threaten the weak and fear the strong” (“Letter from Sado,” WND-1, 302). In the world of animality, people lack reason and conscience, seeing life as a struggle for survival in which they are willing to harm others to protect themselves. Unable to look beyond the immediate, they cannot plan for the future. Such a state of ignorance ultimately leads to suffering and self-destruction.

When one raises one's life condition the world of animality can also be elevated: animals can be wonderful beings, displaying loyalty and selflessness and exhilaration. Many animals live in a world of appreciation and love! 

The World of Asuras/Anger

I've always thought of this world as the world in which one HAS to be in control of everyone and everything. And because, of course, this is impossible, a person in the world of anger is always expressing anger at someone or somebody. I also see it as the world of blame. I find it very tedious to be with people in the world of anger. They have a hard time taking responsibility for anything. This world brings to mind an ex-friend of mine who could not drive two blocks without being angry at every other driver on the road and expressing extreme contempt for them. This is not the world I gravitate to. But many people live in this world! 

The study guide for 2012 says:

People in this world compare themselves to others constantly.

When they see themselves as superior to others, they become consumed with arrogance and contempt. If, on the other hand, they encounter a person who seems clearly their superior, they become obsequious and given over to flattery.

On the surface, those in this world may appear well-intentioned and civil, even humble. Inwardly, however, they harbor jealousy or resentment toward those they sense as better than them. This conflict between outward appearance and behavior and inner feelings and orientation makes those in the world of asuras prone to hypocrisy and an abiding sense of contention or predisposition toward conflict arising from self-centered ambition.

The World of Human Beings (or Humanity)

The world of human beings, or humanity, is a condition of composure and tranquillity. Nichiren Daishonin says, “Calmness is [the world] of human beings” (“The Object of Devotion for Observing the Mind,” WND- 1, 358).

One aspect of the world of humanity is the quality of reason that enables us to distinguish right from wrong and to make decisions based on that distinction. In this condition, a person also has a fair degree of self-control.

To remain in this state of humanity requires effort. In a world rampant with negative influences, it is not easy to continue to live in a truly human manner. This is why we chant. This is an aspect of 'raising our life condition"  based on consistent effort to improve oneself. Moving up from the lower four of the Ten Worlds, the world of human beings is the first in which improving one’s condition becomes a possibility.

Furthermore, those in the world of humanity, while vulnerable to negative influences, are also capable of exerting themselves in Buddhist practice and advancing to the four noble worlds.

The World of Heavenly Beings (Heaven)

In Buddhist philosophy, the world of heavenly beings, or heaven, refers to a condition of life in which one experiences the joy of having one’s desires fulfilled. 

But the joy associated with the world of heaven is not lasting; it eventually weakens and disappears. The world of heaven, therefore, is not the condition of genuine happiness that Buddhism aims to achieve.

From the Six Paths to the Four Noble Paths

The six worlds discussed above, together referred to as the six paths, describe states of life easily influenced by external circumstances. Those who remain in them cannot enjoy true freedom or independence. We chant to raise our life condition to the higher worlds described below.

The aim of Buddhist practice is to transcend these six paths and build a self-determined happiness that is uncontrolled by the environment. The conditions of life a person develops through Buddhist practice are known as the four noble worlds, the worlds of voice-hearers (learning), cause-awakened ones (realization), bodhisattvas and Buddhas.

The World of Voice-Hearers and Cause-Awakened Ones - also known as the world of LEARNING

 People in these states are inquisitive, intellectual and creative. The world of learning is one where the learner is striving for understanding and acquiring the world of Budhahood. 

The World of Bodhisattvas

Bodhisattvas are beings who relentlessly exert themselves to gain the enlightenment of a Buddha for themselves and for others! Boddhisatvas realize that the state of Buddhahood is within them, and chant for the attainment of that state...and they long to share that state with others! Here one has compassion for others and feels loving kindness. 

The World of Buddhahood

YOU are a Buddha. You intellectually know this if you chant Nam Myoho Renge Kyo. The challenge of us ALL is to realize it with our lives, not with our minds. This is what I mean by chanting to elevate our LIFE CONDITION! The more we EXPERIENCE life as a BUDDHA, the happier we are, and the less likelihood there is that anyone or anything can sway us from our happiness. Here, HAPPINESS comes from within. It is the state of our lives regardless of our circumstances!  We are enlightened to the power of chanting the name of the Mystic Law! 

From the 2012 SGI study guide:

Nichiren Daishonin appeared in the Latter Day of the Law, the age in which Shakyamuni’s teachings had been predicted to fall into decline and become ineffective in leading people to enlightenment. To save all people in the Latter Day from suffering, Nichiren manifested the world of Buddhahood in his own life as proof that an ordinary human being can do so. Because he established the way by which all people can attain Buddha- hood, he is respected as the true Buddha of the Latter Day of the Law.

The world of Buddhahood is a life condition rich in noble virtue and good fortune. It emerges when individuals awaken to the reality that the source and foundation of their very lives is the Mystic Law. A Buddha is someone who opens this state of life within and thus embodies unsurpassed compassion and wisdom. And, fueled by that compassion and wisdom, a Buddha works constantly to enable all people to manifest the same world of Buddhahood.

It is not easy to realize this state every day. This is why Nichiren Daishonin enshrined the Gohonzon for us all!  He did this to provide a means for all to bring forth Buddhahood in their own lives.

The world of Buddhahood, the state that Nichiren manifested, is the law of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. When we believe in the Gohonzon (the power of our own lives) and  chant for our own happiness and that of others, we can tap the world of Buddhahood inherent within us and embody it in our lives.

The Lotus Sutra reveals that all people are Buddhas; we human beings can believe in that teaching precisely because our lives fundamentally possess the world of Buddhahood.

Based on Nichiren’s statement above, Nichikan, the great scholar of Nichiren Buddhism, writes, “A heart that strongly believes

Buddhist texts, including Nichiren’s writings, often liken the world of Buddhahood to a lion king. Like the lion king, those who have activated their Buddhahood neither fear nor are daunted by anything or anyone. It is a condition of courage, genuine peace, absolute happiness and enlightenment.

Chant to experience this and your fear will disappear. 

You can do it! 

I know...Sometimes You Just have to KEEP HAVING HOPE

I know sometimes it's hard. Sometimes it's difficult for me too. We chant and take action and some benefits just take much longer than others. I know!

But please do not stop and do not doubt! Chant to overcome your own disbelief! 

When you are diligently persevering, studying, chanting, introducing others to this practice ~ the benefit is DEFINITELY on it's way. Please do not doubt, and do not stop chanting.

At times like this it's really useful to remember a few of those key Gosho quotes and inscribe them deep with our lives:

"Be diligent in developing your faith until the last moment of your life. Otherwise you will have regrets. For example, the journey from Kamakura to Kyoto takes twelve days. If you travel for eleven but stop on the twelfth, how can you admire the moon over the capitol?"

From Letter to Niike, by Nichiren Daishonin

And:

"To discard the shallow and seek the profound requires courage." 

From "On the Buddha's Prophesy" by Nichiren Daishonin

Please have profound respect for your own incredible life and remember that the journey you are on is most respectworthy. Please respect and honor your life. Chant to PRAISE YOUR LIFE! I know I say this over and over again, but it is SOOOO important. It is so easy for us to forget how noble we are, and how we shine like brilliant Buddhas to the very core. The purpose of our practice is to recognize and shine this brilliant diamond every single day. 

It is who we are. Brilliant. Sparkling. Noble. Deserving. Don't let anyone tell you anything different. 

You are Purifying your Life! 

"The function of fire is to burn and give light. The function of water is to wash away filth. The wind blows away dust and breathes life into plants, animals and human beings. The earth nourishes the grasses and trees, and heaven provides nourishing moisture. Myoho Renge Kyo too works in all these ways. It is the cluster of blessings brought by the Boddhisatvas of the Earth." 

YOU are the Boddhisatva of the Earth. We ALL ARE! GO YOU!

From Heritage of the Ultimate Law of Life by Nichiren Daishonin

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?