Relationships ~ A Simple Solution...

One of the things it is sometimes difficult to grasp about this practice is JUST HOW SIMPLE IT IS. It just seems too easy sometimes...
How can it be that if we just chant for another's happiness we find our entire relationship with them transformed?

Like I said. It is so simple. We are interconnected with everything...including ALL people. No exceptions. There is not this one person in your environment who is there by some fluke, and is not interconnected with you in the web of life. No. Even those people who seem like flukes ~ well, they may be the MOST important people in our environments, because chanting for THEM creates Human Revolution in OUR lives. 

It's easy to chant for the lovable ones. What about the ones who don't readily love us back? What about the ones who disregard us, disappoint us, or are mean to us? We are connected to these people too, and when we chant for their happiness we create a miraculous cause and effect in our own lives. 

For instance, when Aaron was in third grade he encountered his first bully. Since he's a fortune baby and been chanting his whole life, when I told him to chant for the bully he immediately started chanting for the bully's happiness. Of course they became friends and the bully stopped bullying others, right? Of course. 
We are chanting the name of the law of the universe. 
Life is cause and effect. 

I have other young friends who chanted about bullies and the bullies just "happened" to move away. That happened to me in my early days of chanting. I worked with someone who troubled me. I chanted for her happiness and she got engaged and moved away. Wonderful! 

When you think about it, those who are causing others to be unhappy are unhappy themselves. 

If we chant for their happiness we turn poison into medicine. I have done this so many times, and recommended this to others. 
It ALWAYS works 100% of the time. 

One of the keys is to fake it till you make it. At first when you're chanting for a person you may be thinking your prayer is not sincere. But if you keep praying for them, and picture them with a big smile on their face, your prayer will become sincere. Guaranteed. And your compassion will grow. you will grow as a person by chanting for this person. YOU will become happier. No doubt about it. 

Sometimes you have to stand up for your rights too. I am not saying all you need to do is chant. At one point I had a verbally abusive boss. I devoted an hour each morning to changing this karma in my life forever. And I stood up to him and challenged his abusive ways. He did end up changing. It is one of my most memorable examples of turning poison into medicine. 

When we challenge ourselves in these ways we change the world, we change ourselves, and we become happier than we ever dreamed! 

Launching our Lives into the Future ~ from this moment forth

"Hon Nim Myo"
Power Prayer ~ 
From this Moment Forth ~ 
I will believe in my own Buddhahood and experience myself as the Buddha I am! 

Buddhism does not concern itself with the past. No. It focuses on RIGHT NOW, and the the causes that we are making at this moment...leading up to the effects we will create from today's causes. 

That is why we talk about "Hon Nim Myo" - meaning "From this moment forth."

Every time we chant we are making a powerful cause for our lives...we are tuning our lives to the rhythm of the entire universe, Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. Our chanting affects right now, our near future and our eternal future. Ever time we chant...every single time. 

A Power Prayer from this moment forth:

From this moment forth I focus my energies on becoming the best person I can possibly be. Today I see myself as the glorious Buddha I am. I realize anew, and see anew, my own powerful Buddhahood. I wash away all the illusion that I am not the Buddha. I release my life from complaint, from blame, from guilt and all emotions that do not serve me. Instead I bring in thoughts and feelings of appreciation and hope. I am determined to keep realizing, every single day, that I am the Buddha and my life is up to me. NOW is the time to dig deep. Now I demand results from this prayer. I WILL___________________(fill in your goal here). Today I strengthen my faith. I summon my faith. I pray with all my heart and my life responds! 

Resolving to Take Action, and Never Giving Up

"Resolving to take action
is proof that you are progressing. 
Even if you have the tendency 
to make a determination 
but only stick to it for two or three days, 
just keep renewing that determination. 
Then you will become the kind of person 
who can persevere and reach their goals."

Daisaku Ikeda, Ikedaquotes.org

I remember one of my early Buddhist leaders would always say "How many chances to you get to remake your determination? As many as you want! Just keep remaking that determination again and again and again and again and sooner or later it will stick!" 

This always gave me hope, because sometimes a determination would be strong for a minute, sometimes a week, sometimes almost not at all...but I continually forgave myself and remade the determination again and again...and gradually my life changed just by not giving up.  

Don't give up!

Have Hope ~ Hope Changes Everything

Those of us who chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo and tap into our highest life condition every single day live lives of HOPE. 

As long as we keep practicing we will never be defeated. With every Nam-myoho-renge-kyo we chant, the sun of hope rises in our lives. 

If, even for a moment we lose hope, we know exactly where to go. We can call a fellow SGI member, we can open the writings of Nichiren Daishonin and be reminded that "Nam-myoho-renge-kyo is like the roar of a lion, what sickness can therefore be an obstacle?" (WND). 

We can read the writings of Daisaku Ikeda, and we can, once again, sit down to chant with a refreshed mind and renew our spirit of hope. We are never deadlocked. We are never caught in a storm whose winds will never cease...we will never be alone in an eternal winter. 

Remember that there is no problem bigger than Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, and you have the power within you to change any suffering. 

At last night's Gosho Lecture someone asked "What is the world of heaven in the world of Hell? How can the world of hell be imbued with the ten worlds?" And the answer is this: In the world of Hell you can give rise to a FIERCE DETERMINATION to change your life. You can say "This is it life! Time for me to change this life! I know I can do it!" and then set yourself a plan. 

There is no change without action. How much will you devote to changing your life? How much can you chant...

An important key is this:

The more you chant the easier it is to chant. It's like revving the engine of your life, and once it gets going it wants to keep going. Once you get on a roll you'll be thinking "Oh. I can't WAIT to get back in front of my Gohonzon! I can't WAIT to chant about this and change it!" 

You are so powerful.  There is nothing you can't do if you have hope and put that hope into action. 

Power Prayer for Happiness and establishing a strong practice

Your Happiness starts with you, with your conviction, with your hope and with your power prayer. You can choose happiness in life. But it takes energy to do this! 

How much are you going to put into making your vision a reality? 

I'm getting a quite a few emails from people who want to change their lives, but are not able or willing to put in the effort that it takes to establish a strong practice. 

The Positive Psychologists talk about something called Activation Energy - that is the "start up" energy that is required get something started. Establishing your solid practice requires "Activation Energy" and once this is established you are, as I say, "on a roll". It will affect all areas of my life. But please, don't take my word for it. This is something you must DO to experience. 

I remember when I was concentrating on this activation energy. I knew that the more energy I put into my practice, the less energy I had to use in my daily life. Forcing myself to chant made the rest of the day flow. I had SGI members come and chant with me at night and in the morning for awhile to help me establish this rhythm. (Thank you Dolores and San Francisco members!) 

Here's what it takes: 
Strong Desire - write your goals
Connecting with the SGI, or having a desire to connect with the SGI and including this in your prayers. 
Keeping to a schedule (even if a bit flexible) of chanting twice a day every day. 
Then studying the Gosho and President Ikeda's guidance and sharing this practice with others. 

This is the formula for happiness - and you can do it! 

No one can do this for you. You are the only one who can change your karma and the best thing is 
YOU CAN CHANGE YOUR KARMA. 
You CAN do this. 
You CAN be Happy

But you have to do it! No one can do it for you. Once you establish the daily rhythm you WILL notice a difference, unless you are eroding your life by constant complaining and "why me-ing". Find a way to replace the complaints in your mind with appreciation. Your practice will help you to do this. Your thoughts will turn to thoughts of appreciation naturally if you devote yourself to your practice, in other words, to your own life. 

Your happiness is incredibly important in so many ways. It is your birthright, it is your mission, and your happiness makes the world a better place. 

Of course your actions make a difference:

Smiling at another is a cause for your (and their) happiness. Do you know they've done tests and the people you smile at actually register a higher level of happiness just by being smiled at? And your brain registers happiness just by smiling. Isn't that wonderful? 

Power Prayer for Happiness:

Life! I am determined to build a life of happiness! I am determined to chant every day - twice a day from now on! I am determined to use ALL my problems as fuel for creating victory in all areas of my life. I will be happy, healthy, successful and have great and fulfilling relationships! I am determined to strengthen my practice, to chant every day twice a day. I WILL do this.

Every Day is a New Start

You Don't Need to "Figure it all Out"

When we don't know exactly where to go or what to do - we can rely on our own inner wisdom, our lives. 

It is perfectly fine to chant without a plan. It is really magical sometimes to just open up your heart when you chant and not to have a specific agenda or list. 
I know, I know, I am always saying to focus on what you want. And that is true. But aren't there times when you just don't know what to chant? That is okay. Chant anyway. Just chant from your heart and let your thoughts flow. Daisaku Ikeda says to just chant naturally. 

In Faith in Action under "Prayer" (p, 153) he states;

"Being human, it's natural for our minds to wander, for all sorts of thoughts to surface during prayer. You can share all those thoughts with the Gohonzon. There is no set form or pattern for how we should pray. Buddhism empahsizes being natural. Therefore, simply chant earnestly without pretense, jsut as you are. In time, your faith develops, you'll find it easier to focus your mind when you chant." 

Chanting "Abundant Daimoku" and Floating on a Pillow of Daimoku

How do you know when you're chanting enough Daimoku - enough Nam-myoho-renge-kyo? 

When you have no fear, when you are happy, when all obstacles look like opportunities, not problems, THAT'S when you are chanting enough Daimoku. 

If you are afraid, or worried...or troubled, it's time to sit down and chant more. Chant for peace of mind. Chant to be happy and serene. Chant to have victory in all areas of your life. 

I know sometimes it's hard. I know it's difficult to focus, and sometimes the people around us are interrupting us and wanting our attention. I know it can be hard to put that cell phone down and focus on your own life and chant with all your heart. 

But my promise, and Nichiren Daishonin's promise, and Daisaku Ikeda's promise is this ~ you CAN become happy...happier than you ever imagined...if you devote yourself to this practice. There is no doubt. 

But the key is - you have to do it! No one else can purify your life besides you. No one can chant for you like YOU can chant for you. You are the only one. And you would not be reading this blog if you were not capable of chanting your happiness into being. 

You can do it. You absolutely can be happy. You must summon the power within your life with the most incredible key of life...Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. 

Chant for Exactly What You Want

Just like the cartoon shows...go directly towards what you want and don't turn back.

The famous Gosho quote says "The journey from Kamakura to Kyoto takes twelve days. If you travel for eleven but stop with only one day remaining, how can you admire the moon over the capital?" WND p. 1027. 

If you need money chant for money. Chant for what is in your heart at all times.

Chant to show actual proof of this practice by getting what you want and being able to inspire others. When you base your prayers on the greater good, your prayers are that much more powerful. You have the power within you to make your dreams come true, and to change into the exact person you need to be to fulfill them. Your daily practice of Buddhism is the direct road to your happiness in all ways. You are the Buddha. Claim your benefit by putting your practice first! 

Mother Poem by Daisaku Ikeda

In honor of Soka Mother's Day I post this picture of my own sweet Mommy and her beloved boys, Aaron, Ben and Tyler. 
Below is the poem Daisaku Ikeda wrote about his own mother. I first read this on a plaque at FNCC in 2010 and it still moves me to grateful tears.   

Mother 

By Daisaku Ikeda

Mother, what a wondrous, nourishing power you have!
Were it not for you in this world,
People would lose the earth to return to,
And wander for all eternity.

Mother, our mother.
Persevering through the storm,
You offered prayers in sadness.

I pray you will stay in good health until the day
When all your wishes are fulfilled,
And, as though endowed with wings,
you take flight toward the heavens.

Mother, with your ideas and wisdom,
I hope you will perform a melody of peace on the earth,
Where people look forward to the arrival of spring.
Thus, you will become the mother of the Century of Humanity

Happy Soka Women's Day ~ A Quote and Power Prayer for You.

In honor of the women of Soka I post this inspiring quote from Sensei (Daisaku Ikeda) followed by a 
Power Prayer for Women that Julia and I wrote based on Sensei's passage. 

Enjoy! 

"For we generally find that it is women ~ more so then men, who often let egoism and appearances hold them back ~ who demonstrate the infinite power of the Mystic Law at a crucial moment, just as the teachings instruct. The power of belief leads to a state of mind free of fear or doubt, which is the very essence of what it means to have faith. No devilish function can possibly defeat a woman who has attained such a state of mind. A woman of deep faith who correctly practices the Mystic Law possesses the wisdom to instantly distinguish between right and wrong. She has the essential courage to sweep away the three poisons ~ greed, anger and foolishness. She is endowed with all-nurturing compassion. Inspired by the example of a teacher awakened to the Mystic Law, her wisdom, courage and compassion fuse together in a firm, unwavering resolve. Such a woman will never be swayed by the maneuvers of any devilish function. 
      President Toda used to say, “The realization of kosen-rufu ~ its success or failure ~ will depend on the efforts of women.” Absolutely nothing can stand in the way of women who know the “greatest of all joys,” which comes from chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo (see the Record of the Orally Transmitted Teachings, p. 212). The presence and example of women whose lives have been revitalized through such joy can become a powerful  source of inspiration for many others."  

Daisaku Ikeda, Learning from the Writings, The Hope ~ Filled Teachings of Nichiren Daishonin. SGI President Ikeda’s Lecture Series, p. 8.

A Power Prayer in Honor of Soka Women's Day:

The power of my life brings frees me from all fear and doubt. No devilish function can possibly defeat me for I am an immensely powerful woman. 
I now possess the wisdom to instantly distinguish between right and wrong. I now possess the essential courage to sweep away greed, anger and foolishness. I expand my capacity for all nurturing compassion and love.  My wisdom, courage and compassion fuse together in a firm, unwavering resolve. I am NEVER swayed by the maneuvers of any devilish function. Together with Sensei I use my life to bring peace and happiness to all I touch! I now draw to me all that I need to make my life happy and fulfilling in every way.  

Celebrating May Third with You

Daisaku Ikeda ~ Sensei in San Francisco's City Hall,

 just after receiving the key to the city. 

Taken by my friend Caley Guida 

when he was waving to the two of us in March of 1993. 

Glorious May Third! Today I will chant in joyful appreciation of this practice, of Sensei, of all my fellow Boddhisatvas of the Earth - YOU! Rejoicing along with you I renew my own pledge to use my life, my writing, my passion, to help anyone suffering anywhere find the law of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo and change every poison in their lives into benefit. I am determined to make it easier than ever for people searching for happiness to find this wonderful practice. Thank you all for joining me in this wonderful endeavor. Thanks for "liking" Chant for Happiness on facebook and sharing posts...thanks for forwarding the url chantforhappiness.com in your emails...thanks for sharing OUR MISSION together!  (The translation button at the top right can translate the entire blog into any language) 

Here is some historical perspective about this important day, and an address from President Ikeda's from a few years back on May 3rd and still relevant today:

Now, the glorious anniversary of May 3 has arrived again. In my mind, I can picture the familiar faces of members around the world who have triumphed magnificently over all manner of hardship and adversity, and I can also hear the joyous voices of new members who are nurturing fresh faith in the Mystic Law and taking on the challenge of pioneering our movement in their countries.

"Were they not Bodhisattvas of the Earth, they could not chant the daimoku" (The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, vol. 1, p. 385), declares the Daishonin. As these words indicate, each of you is most assuredly a Bodhisattva of the Earth. It is therefore crucial that you deeply realize this, your true and most fundamental identity, and, based on chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo infused with a great vow, courageously engage in the work of kosen-rufu in harmonious unity with your fellow members.

I call out to you: Embark on fresh challenges with a totally rejuvenated spirit! Be lions, and triumph as lions! Together let's dedicate our lives to the great vow and grand vision of kosen-rufu!

To see the rest of this post click on "read more" below:

Changing our Minds, Changing our Beings

How to Chant Joyfully for Longer Times

When I first began chanting a leader told me our lives and our karma can be compared to a glass with dirt at the bottom...the dirt represents the karma that exists inside our lives. She said when you start to chant you stir up that dirt and see it swirling around...and if you want to really dig deep and clear it out, you might want to chant for a really long period of time...to do a Daimoku Tozo as we call it. 

(Now, none of us ever HAS to chant for a long period of time. This is something that is entirely optional and comes from your deep desire. It's perfectly okay if you don't choose to do a long tozo. As long as you are chanting every day, studying, attending as many meetings as you can, you will definately change your life for the better.) 


A reader requested I share some ideas about chanting joyfully, especially since so many of you are challenging yourselves to chant for longer periods of time. Thank you for asking.

How to joyfully chant for longer times.

1. Realize that what you are about to do...an extended chant...a tozo...has profound significance for your life. Give  yourself credit for this worthy goal, and set a chanting time goal for yourself. 

2. Write your goal or goals for the tozo. (Some of these goals may occur to you naturally as you're chanting) Write yourself a Power Prayer connected to the greater good...to the real difference you want to make in the world. Remember that you are a precious votary of the Lotus Sutra and when you break through, the energy is forever changed. You are paving the way for others to break through. So address that in your goals and in your chanting For instance: 
"I am determined to have the most beautiful, loving relationship so that I can totally inspire other people that great relationships are possible ...I can show actual proof with my life, and be able to introduce others to this practice!" In one of the tozos I chanted, I'd read President Ikeda's guidance saying you can chant to have 10,000 times more power in your prayer. So I spent the first hour chanting to increase the power of my daimoku by 10,000 times! That hour flew!

3. Have your favorite drinks close by...tea...water...soft drinks...whatever you like. 

4. DEMAND your results! YOU are the Buddha! Do not beg favors from a 'higher power." Remember the Gohonzon cannot get down off the scroll and do the Buddha's work in the world. YOU actually are the Gohonzon; it is inside your life. The scroll is a reflection of the highest life condition that exists within your own life. So when you are chanting CLAIM what is yours! Yes, the Gohonzon consists of the functions in the universe that are in our lives. Tell your life what you want. And know that all real change comes from within.

5. All change comes from within. Take responsibility for your life...not blame. Realize whatever you are going through, whatever is causing you to chant...it's your karma..not your FAULT. Chant to reach the very core of that karma and change it forever. THEN your life circumstances and environment will change to reflect it. You don't have to figure out the deeper cause, don't worry about getting it right. Chanting is experiential, not an intellectual exercise.  

6. Keep your favorite study material close by...whatever touches your heart when you read it. And if you find yourself losing focus open it up to any page you want. I have "For Today and Tomorrow" next to me right now. I just opened it for you right now...I read "When we chant sonorous daimoku, the sun rises in our hearts. We are filled with power. Compassion wells forth. Our lives are lit with joy. Our wisdom shines. All Buddhas and Buddhist deities throughout the universe go to work on our behalf. Life becomes exhilarating." Read your passage and get right back to chanting!!!

7. Invite others for all or part of your tozo. 

8. Have pen and paper handy. You'll want to write down those brilliant ideas that come into your mind while you're chanting. You'll also want to write down some of those pesky thoughts and reminders that keep coming back...things like "remember to buy dog food." Just write it down and eject it from your brain so you can focus on what really matters.

9. Put your telephone away. Tell people you are busy. 

10. After the tozo write in your journal. You never want to forget this day. Write to me too. I love to hear your successes and your challenges. 

11. Expect some obstacles to arise after your tozo. And just say "Hello obstacles! I was expecting you!" When you chant for an extended time you can compare it to turning your speedboat to HIGH. The faster you go, the more resistance you feel. Sometimes after a tozo I experience some obstacles, sometimes I don't. But if you do, please remember obstacles are fuel for your happiness and not to be feared. Face them and chant them away. 

I am chanting for you to accomplish your goals and shine with happiness. 
I am chanting for you to connect with the SGI and President Ikeda and all your Soka Gakkai friends. 
I'd love to hear from those of you who have connected to the SGI through my blog. I am sharing your stories with Daisaku Ikeda, Sensei. 

Appreciation

Happy May Day ~ Writing from My Patio ~

It is warm here in Chicago. Spring is here. 

I'm sitting on my patio writing and enjoying the sound of the fountain on the pond. 

Julia and I have been working together on the book for you. The working title is:

The Buddha Zone
Power Prayers 
to Chant for Your Happiness

What do you think of the title? 

Our Power Prayer for the book is:

Life: May every one of our words touch and inspire people to chant their happiness into being! May we reach all people who are seeking practical solutions or suffering in any way. We aim to reach those who are hearing about the Soka Gakkai and Nam-myoho-renge-kyo for the first time, those who may be members and looking for a renwed burst of faith and enthusiasm, and those who may have been members in the past -  we seek to reconnect them to the SGI and the heart of our mentor Daisaku Ikeda. May every being who comes into contact with our book have benefit! 

Power Prayer to Mend a Broken Heart

How do we mend a broken heart? 

Break ups are painful. Heart~ache actually hurts. 

Some feel it in their bellies...others feel it in their hearts. Some people can't eat...others want to eat all the time. Some can't think...and find it hard to do anything. Some 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? Yes. 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. 

My heart break was also filled with regret. I was constantly thinking "If only I hadn't...if only I could turn back time." So I was mad at myself, full of regret, and suffering...a perfect opportunity to turn poison into medicine. 

Sensei says: 
"The key to victory in our lives lies in how hard we struggle when we are in winter, how wisely we use that time, and how meaningfully we live each day confident that spring will definitely come."
from The Hope Filled Writings of Nichiren Daishonin. p. 107

I decided to chant two hours a day to permanently release my life from this torment once and for all. I determined that NEVER AGAIN would these feelings overcome me. and that this Daimoku campaign would change my life forever. 

And it HAS. I am not the same person I was when I made this determination. I am stronger...I have peace of mind...I am on to bigger and better stuff. I am freed to actually live my true purpose in life - writing and encouraging people throughout the world. You see, this pain propelled me! 

And I have to say ~  I appreciate my heart ache now. It was the catalyst for the Daimoku Campaign which ended up changing my life in so many positive ways. Poison into Medicine. THAT is the promise of the practice if we have the faith to ROAR like the lions we are! 

Power Prayer to Mend a Broken Heart:

Life! I am determination to change this karma forever...I will be happy no matter what. I am tearing this sadness out by the roots. With every Daimoku I chant, I am strengthening my life at the core, so that NO MATTER WHAT I will be happy. 
Happiness is my birthright. 
I CLAIM my birthright and will get over this pain. I chant to replace my thoughts of this person with thoughts of appreciation for all the love I DO have in this life! 
I chant for peace of mind. 
I chant to transform all of this pain into positive energy for my life. And with this renewed energy, and positive proof of chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo ~ I will be able to inspire others. 

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 our beings. We are Buddhas revealing the depths of our own Buddhahood.  
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!!! 

Sensei also instructs us to "...transform the moment-to-moment focus of our minds." (IBID)p. 68. 

To change your focus you might want to:

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?" read the list. 
I posted bulletin boards close to my altar with pictures of all of the people I love and who love me. It reminded me of all the love I DO have in my life. It still makes me happy just to look at it.
I also changed all the songs on my ipod that reminded me of my sadness and found new ones that made me dance in happiness. 
When I really felt that I needed to express my heart I wrote in my journal about what I was feeling. That helped too. 

This time of sadness will pass. 

As Daisaku Ikeda says:
"Seen from the prespective of faith and Buddhism, everything has profound meaning. THere is no need whatsoever for us to vaccillate between elation and despair at each turn of the 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....With the passage of time, it will definitely becomeclear that everything has unfolded in the best possible manner." (IBID p. 277) 

Strengthen your faith more than ever. 

And stay busy. 

Do any of you have stories to share? Write me at chantforhappiness.com

Our True Battle Against Despair and Apathy ~

"In life when we feel we have reached a limit, that is when the true battle begins. Just when you despair and think it is impossible to go any further, will you become apathetic, or will you say it’s not over and stand up with an unyielding spirit? The battle is decided by this single determination."

Daisaku Ikeda
Ikedaquotes.org

Powerful Power Prayers!

Our thoughts while chanting Nam Myoho Renge Kyo are very important.

We can aim our thoughts like a laser towards what is really important, and we can use them to raise our life condition and strengthen the core of our lives - which in turn makes us stronger and more capable of achieving our goals and being truly happy from the inside of your lives - regardless of day-to-day circumstances. 

We can't always control everything that goes on in our lives. This is a fact of life. There are some things we experience that we wish we could just NOT experience. But at the heart of our lives we can have a powerful power prayer. 

Here are some examples of POWER PRAYERS:

LIFE! Right here, right now I am raising my life condition and strengthening my life so that NO MATTER WHAT I will be able to greet each day with appreciation, and have a high enough life condition to overcome anything!

LIFE! I am determined to expand my capacity in every way. Today I expand my capacity for JOY! I expand my capacity for APPRECIATION! I expand my capacity to appreciate each moment as it comes, and to express appreciation as much as I can possibly can all day. I expand my capacity for powerful determination and concentrated thought. I expand my capacity for brain power! I expand my capacity to HELP OTHERS! 

LIFE! I WILL WIN in every aspect of my life! Job, love life, wealth creation, friendships and ability to lead and help others. I MUST be an example that this practice works. I chant to change the inside of my life so that all the things I truly desire can come to me as a reflection of the inner changes I have made through my chanting and strong determination!

LIFE! I chant specifically to achieve this outcome ______________________. (Fill in the blank)
Or something better! I am determined to make these internal changes to activate these results!


Chanting Nam Myoho Renge Kyo with passion and determination activates the law within your life. Remember that you are aligning with the mystic law, and not asking anyone or anything for favors. 

Chant POWERFUL DAIMOKU. 

Let me hear from you. My email is chantforhappiness@gmail.com
Also you can Like us on facebook at Chant for Happiness 
and easily share posts. Also remember the translation button on the top right allows you to translate this blog into any language. 

Quote from Daisaku Ikeda - push back the boundaries of your life!

"The human spirit is as expansive as the cosmos. This is why it is so tragic to belittle yourself or to question your worth. No matter what happens, continue to push back the boundaries of your inner life. The confidence to prevail over any problem, the strength to overcome adversity and unbounded hope—all reside within you."

~  Daisaku Ikeda, 
From Ikedaquotes.org

Inspiring Power Prayer Experience from Morag in the UK

(This experience is from Morag in Hythe, UK. Thanks Morag, you are an inspiration! 
If any of you have Power Prayer experiences please send them to chantforhappiness@gmail.com. We are collecting Power Prayer quotes and experiences for our soon-to-be released Power Prayer book)

"I came across Jamie's blog sometime in the middle of last year, 2012.  Right from the start I thought her enthusiasm and mission to share Nichiren Buddhism leapt from the computer screen.  I had been practising for just over 5 years, going to local meetings and studying  quite diligently.  It's a wide district geographically, members are very spread out, so you tend to see the same faces all the time.  I felt at a bit of plateau, chanting regularly and getting small consistant benefits and proofs  but no  'oomph.'  

After reading a few blogs I started to forward them to other members.  I remember two phrases that burned into my heart and stayed there;  

'If you don't like something about your SGI meetings, chant to change it' and 'I determine to be a shining example that this practice works and to meet people who want to hear about it.'  

I incorporated that last one straight into morning Gongyo, started carrying cards around with me to hand out whenever anyone showed the slightest interest in me or Buddhism. That phrase alone changed my whole outlook and my confidence talking about my practice to anyone has grown since then.

I had not heard the term 'power prayer'. I like to think Nichiren would recognize it as he described chanting with the determination as if to get fire from damp wood.  I liked it as a way of encompassing determinations and really focusing my daimoku.  I set up a file on my computer; 'Buddhist Prayers' with a background picture of a lotus blossom and started writing them down and printing them off. (Yes I know, way too much time on my hands).  

As Buddhists, all our prayers should be linked or based on the desire for Kosen-Rufu, and I preface each one with that now. And try to mean it right into my heart.  Surprisingly, for someone who likes reading and writing; essays, letters, whatever, I actually keep my power  prayers very short. I distill my determinations right down to concentrated essence.  But I do write them down.

Towards  the end of last year, I wanted to encourage new members, really push for a shakabuku meeting in my area.  Jamie's enthusiasm was infectious.  I found a venue for a shakubuku meeting and proposed it at an SGI  meeting and got a rather downbeat response.  Hm, 'if you want to change something....' so I started chanting and wrote:  'for kosen-rufu and the growth of this district I will have meetings at the Light Railway Hall.' 

I went to New Year Gongyo at a house in Ashford, which has more members.  Up till then I had not had any meetings at my own home as my husband, while not opposed to my practice, does not want to be at home while meetings go on.  That new year I vowed, ' For kosen-rufu and growth of this district I will hold meetings in our home and hold New Year Gongyo in 2014.'  I wrote that one down too.

My husband and middle son have been motocross enthusiasts for years, my son is a champion.  This year is the busiest yet for week-end meetings.  As soon as I saw the list, I asked lightly, 'would you mind if I had meetings here if you are away?'  That was fine.
So I contacted the scheduler, (who has been wholeheartedly supporting the goal for new members) and booked meetings in our home every month till october (when the season officially ends). 
Even if alone, I decided I would have home Tozos towards the goal of new members.  (Ding ding! round one.)

Then at last months meeting, almost as a throw away line, a leader said 'Yes, we'll do something about your Idea for shakabuku meetings.'  (Ding ding! round two.)

That's great I thought, I already have the leaflets and posters printed and 99% of my script.  I'm up for it!  

This week I booked the hall for a shakubuku meeting on July 1st.  

This month's SGI magazine had a section dedicated to the experience of shakabuku meetings. Perfect. 

Power prayers are ongoing; one thing I am learning is patience. 

 I felt a bit bit poetic this week and wrote:
'For kosen rufu and the growth of this district, I use my Buddha strength to draw the bow of the Lotus Sutra, aim my arrows of daimoku to win in all my determinations.'

NMRK Morag.x  

Quote from Sensei

"Do you give up the struggle to overcome your own limitations on the first attempt, or do you keep on with it, trying a second time, a third time, and continuing on in the challenge for the rest of your life? That is the only difference between the genius and the ordinary person."

Daisaku Ikeda, from Ikedaquotes.org

760 Years Ago Today...Nichiren first chanted Nam-myoho-renge-kyo

And on that day he changed our lives forever. 

This picture is of a 1,000 year old tree at Seichi-ji Temple. It was there in 1253 when Nichiren first chanted Nam-myoho-renge-kyo and reclaimed the practice of Buddhism for the happiness of us all. 

It's fascinating to imagine what it would have been like for him that day. I wonder what he felt when he was pondering the true practice for the age. Remember, he'd made a vow at the age of twelve to be the wisest man in Japan. He'd traveled to Buddhist temples all over reading the sacred scrolls and asking himself the same question over and over: 

"What is the REAL practice for this age? What will lead people to happiness? What is the true lifeblood of Buddhism NOW?" 

He put every cell of his body into finding the answer to this question. There were many forms of Buddhism at the time. All of them promised rewards in the future, but no fulfillment right now. The Pure Land sect said the only happiness you could ever have came only after death when you were born again in the Pure Land. Other sects said you had to attone for every single negative cause you had ever made and after many, many lifetimes attain Buddhahood. Others said you had to be reborn as a man. 

But NONE said that Happiness exists in the here and now, and you can attain Buddhahood, happiness, enlightenment, right here right now in your present form. 

And THAT school was the one Nichiren founded, beginning 760 years ago today by chanting the title of the Lotus Sutra for the first time. I can just imagine the shivers going through his body. I can just imagine the responses of the people around him who were all attached to their own particular beliefs. It took an amazing amount of energy and strength. 

And he continued his religious revolution every day from then on. In the face of multiple persecutions, attacks, hatred...you name it. But he KNEW. He KNEW that one day you and I would be chanting this phrase and changing the world by infusing our lives with the energy of this vibration, and advancing, step by step with Nichiren and our mentor in faith Daisaku Ikeda. 

What courage. What strength. 

Those of us who have read the writings Nichiren wrote to his followers know what he went through...being exiled to a gardener's hut with holes in the walls and the ceiling with no provisions in the cold of winter in a graveyard no less...not even a graveyard actually, a place where dead bodies were just left on Sado Island. People were told not to go near the hut or help this man or they would be killed. And it was from this hut where he wrote the Opening of the Eyes and many of his most important letters "Gosho" saying "I am the happiest man in all japan!" Why was he so happy? Because his persecutions confirmed that this was the correct teachings. We can learn so much through his actions and attitude. I could go on and on. 

But today marks the first time he chanted. Today marks the establishment of Practical Buddhism for the Latter Day of the Law. Breathtaking really. 


The following passage is largely taken from the SGI website on Nichiren's Life. 


"While Nichiren demonstrated a severely critical stance toward what he regarded as distortion or corruption of the core message of Buddhism, his letters of guidance and encouragement to his followers record a tender concern for people who were disregarded within medieval Japanese society."

Nichiren (1222-1282), the priest who established the form of Buddhism practiced by the members of the SGI, is a unique figure in Japanese social and religious history. In a society where great emphasis has often been placed on keeping conflict hidden from sight, Nichiren was outspoken in his criticism of the established Buddhist sects and secular authorities. His chosen method of propagation was "shakubuku"--a sharp and relentless dialectic between different perspectives in quest of truth...

For instance, he wrote many letters to female lay believers in which he showed a remarkable understanding of their sufferings and emphasized the Lotus Sutra's message that all people can become enlightened as they are, men and women.

Nichiren's sympathy for the downtrodden in society is related to the circumstances of his birth. His father was a fisherman on the seacoast to the east of what is now Tokyo, and as such Nichiren identified himself as "the son of a chandala [untouchable caste] family." Life in feudal Japan was harsh and brutal, especially for the masses at the bottom of the strict social hierarchy. Experiencing firsthand the misery of the common people, Nichiren had from an early age been driven by a powerful desire to find a way of resolving the problem of human suffering.

SGI President Daisaku Ikeda has noted that the wisdom we are able to unleash from within is proportionate to our sense of responsibility. The young Nichiren was moved by a burning sense of responsibility to alleviate the enormous misery he saw about him, and it was this that enabled him to gain insight into the essential nature of human life and reality.

Nichiren began an exhaustive study of the multitude of often contradictory teachings and sutras of Buddhism. From age 16 to 32, Nichiren traveled to Kamakura and Kyoto, visiting the major centers of Buddhism, studying the massive volume of sutras, treatises and commentaries. The conclusion he reached was that the heart of Shakyamuni's enlightenment is to be found in the Lotus Sutra and that the principle or law to which all Buddhas are enlightened is expressed in the phrase "Nam-myoho-renge-kyo," from the title, or daimoku, of that sutra.

At the same time, he understood clearly that to promote faith in the Lotus Sutra as the exclusive vehicle for enlightenment would be to engage in public criticism of existing schools of Buddhism, many of which taught that access to the Buddha Land was only possible after death. While Nichiren advocated using Buddhist practice to challenge one's circumstances and develop inner strength, the traditional schools encouraged resignation and passivity. A strong counterreaction could be anticipated, and Nichiren writes of his own inner struggle over the question of whether or not to speak out.

Persecution

Deciding that to remain silent would be to lack compassion, on the 28th day of the fourth month (according to the lunar calendar) of 1253, Nichiren made a public declaration of his beliefs. As anticipated, his insistence on the sole efficacy of the Lotus Sutra--with its core tenet that all people are in fact Buddhas--in the present era of confusion and corruption was met with disbelief and hostility. The steward of the region, a devout follower of the Pure Land school, took steps to have Nichiren arrested. And from this point on, Nichiren's life would be a succession of harassment, persecution and abuse.

One reason for this is that the authorities recognized Nichiren's uncompromising insistence on the equality of all people as a direct threat to the established power structure, which victimized the impoverished majority. The established schools of Buddhism had been incorporated into this structure, providing an effective means for the feudal authorities to strengthen and extend their power over the populace. Priests of these schools, who occupied a privileged position within the social hierarchy, were deeply implicated in this exploitative system and had no reason to challenge the status quo. This is a further reason why Nichiren was able to attract a significant following despite the risks that such allegiance would entail.

The Lotus Sutra predicts that those who attempt to spread its teachings in the corrupt latter days will meet severe trials. Nichiren interpreted the persecutions that befell him as evidence that he was fulfilling his mission in life.

In 1260, in the wake of a series of devastating natural disasters, Nichiren wrote his most famous tract, the Rissho ankoku ron (On Establishing the Correct Teaching for the Peace of the Land). In it, he developed the idea that only by reviving a spirit of reverence for the sanctity and perfectibility of human life through faith in the Lotus Sutra could a truly peaceful order be restored and further disaster forestalled. He presented this treatise to the highest political authorities of Japan and urged them to sponsor a public debate with representatives of other schools of Buddhism. The call for public debate--which Nichiren would repeat throughout his life--was ignored, and he was banished to the Izu Peninsula.

The years that followed brought further banishment and the decisive crisis of his life--an attempt to execute him on the beach of Tatsunokuchi. By his account, moments before the executioner's sword was to fall, a luminous object--perhaps a meteor--traversed the sky with such brilliance that the terrified officials called off the execution. Nichiren was banished to Sado Island where, amidst extreme deprivation, he continued to make converts and write treatises and letters.

In part because the predictions he had made in the Rissho ankoku ron had come true, after almost two and a half years on Sado, Nichiren was pardoned and returned to the political center of Kamakura. It is said he was offered a temple and official patronage if he would desist from his criticism of other schools of Buddhism, but he refused. Nichiren retreated to Mount Minobu, and there he wrote copiously and trained his successors.

Transmission

During this period, the priest Nikko, who had accompanied Nichiren throughout his tumultuous career and would inherit the teachings, was gaining converts in nearby Atsuhara village. The priests of a Tendai temple in the area, angered at this, began harassing the converts. Eventually, they instigated an attack by samurai against unarmed peasant converts and their arrest on false charges of theft. Twenty of the peasants were arrested and tortured, and three were executed in 1279.

Where earlier persecutions had targeted Nichiren himself, this time it was the lay believers who were the victims. Despite their lack of an in-depth theoretical knowledge of their newly adopted faith, these peasant followers remained steadfast in the face of the ultimate threat. For Nichiren, this signaled a crucial turning point, inspiring his confidence that his teachings would be maintained and practiced after his own passing. Where he had to date inscribed sacred mandalas (Gohonzon) for individual believers, he now inscribed the mandala explicitly dedicated to the happiness and enlightenment of all humankind. This symbolized the establishment of Nichiren Buddhism as a universal faith. Nichiren died of old age three years later, his mission complete. Transmission of his teachings and the fulfillment of his vision of peace founded on respect for the sanctity of life is the central inspiration for SGI members worldwide.

[Courtesy October 2004 SGI Quarterly]