Hope is Life's Treasure

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

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

Hope Is Life's Treasure

Hope is
life's treasure.

Those
who have hope
are always happy.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

My young friends,
never be defeated!

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

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

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

Our True Battle Begins!

Master and Disciple PowerPrayer and Explanation

What is the Mentor Disciple Relationship? Yesterday a reader wrote me and asked that question. 

As many of you know, I am facing a huge challenge...a crucial moment that I can use to deepen my faith!

I am putting the master and disciple relationship at the center of my life. Here is my understanding of it: 

Daisaku Ikeda, the President of the Soka Gakkai International has committed his life the happiness of each individual through peace, culture and education. Since the age of 19 he has spent every moment working towards our happiness, and the happiness of all mankind. He has published hundreds...hundreds of books, written more speeches and essays than I can possibly count, visited with world leaders throughout the globe inspiring them to be their best selves, founded cultural institutions, universities, grade schools, kindergartens and museums. He has received over 300 honorary doctorates...more than any living human has ever received. And he has inspired ME with his heart for us all. So the mentor disciple relationship for me, is chanting to feel his heart, and chant with the depth of his prayer for the whole world. 

When I chant, I chant to see the world through his eyes, to feel the world through his heart and to have the depth of prayer and compassion towards others that he has. I literally chant to deepen all my levels of compassion so that my prayer is as deep as his. I know he is a human being. A deeply committed human being. I am a deeply committed human being who has the wonderful fortune to be alive at the same time as Daisaku Ikeda. I respect him as a towering force of good for all of humanity and I aspire to chant like him and have his heart. 

This morning I chanted with this 

Master and Disciple PowerPrayer:

I chant to experience the deep faith of my mentor! I chant to deepen my faith so that I chant with the same ICHINEN as Daisaku Ikeda. 

Life!

Deepen my prayer a million times so that I realize
beyond a shadow of ANY doubt
that I AM THE BUDDHA
I AM THE BUDDHA
I AM THE BUDDHA

Remove any part of me
                               DOUBT
                                  Hesitation
                                     Confusion
                                         FEAR
That is not the BUDDHA!

Reveal the brilliant burning core of my life 
and burn this bad karma away!

Strip away the hopelessness
Wash away the fear

I am chanting with the Pure Heart Of Kosen Rufu
for those I love, for my readers, for my members, and for those who are searching to find this practice and put it to use in their lives! I chant to meet those who are ready to hear of this practice and to help them change their lives! 
I chant for the land, for the planet, for the universe. 

May every breath I breathe 
every word I write 
everything I say
Serve to strengthen EVERYONE'S FAITH! 

Shoten Zenjin! 
Support me in all my efforts for Kosen Rufu! 
This is what I am making happen through my strong determination right now!!!_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________!

The Universal PowerPrayer

I heard Linda Johnson, the incredible SGI-USA Women's Division leader talk about the Universal Prayer a few years ago. She talked about a person suffering from an "incurable" jaw disease. Linda recommended they chant the Universal Prayer and they were able to cure the jaw disease.  This is my version of the Universal PowerPrayer. Feel free to devise your own. I like to picture every single one of you in front of your Gohonzon chanting, and feel us chanting deeply together.

Universal PowerPrayer

As I am chanting, with every Daimoku I chant

I feel every other person who is chanting deepening their faith and belief in the power of their own lives! 
As I feel my strength growing, may everyone chanting feel their strength growing! 
As I polish the diamond of my life, may ALL polish the diamond of their lives with renewed conviction, increased energy and life! 

I deepen the power of my daimoku 10,000 X,

and feel all who are chanting deepen their faith, so that their benefits are overflowing and they show brilliant actual proof to all who are still suffering! 
The energy of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo spreads to create a happy world of Kosen Rufu where everyone respects everyone and no one wishes anyone harm! 

I chant that every single person who is chanting 

feels the full power 

sees the full power

experiences the full power

of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo in their OWN lives. 

I chant for all members to praise their lives

receive incredible benefits

and to know, within their DNA ~

within every cell in their body

that this practice works!

I chant in unison with all who are chanting. 

May my own deepened prayer (feeling of connection with Nam-myoho-renge-kyo and the power within) serve to help all deepen their prayer! 

What Is True Victory In Life?

Burn With Ever Brighter Spirit!

I have huge challenges now! Huge. Bigger than ever. I am burning bright as the sun because I am embracing these challenges and I am determined to WIN. Not just for myself...but for YOU...and my district, for kosen-rufu and for the world. The problems I face are the problems people are facing all over. I MUST defeat them. I must use them to fuel my growth and to help people. I am a warrior for happiness...a warrior for kosen-rufu. I burn with the spirit of my mentor Daisaku Ikeda, and I AM Nam-myoho-renge-kyo and so are YOU!

The second Gosho I ever studied and studied and studied is "A Ship to Cross the Sea of Suffering" by Nichiren Daishonin. In it, he makes it clear that our problems are actually our benefits because the more problems we have the more we will strengthen our lives. And the stronger our lives become the happier we are. The happier we are, the more we can help others. And happiness is contagious. Our happiness leads to kosen-rufu...our happiness SPREADS. Our happiness is IMPORTANT. 

In America we have a couple of phrases that represent this. One is: "Happy Wife, Happy Life." Smart husbands say this, because they know it is true. Another is "If Momma ain't happy, ain't nobody happy" and that's true too, isn't it!

A happy wife makes a happy husband. A happy wife and mother creates a happy home. A happy home creates a happy neighborhood. A happy neighborhood leads to a happy world. Your happiness is important. In Nichiren Daishonin's Buddhism we create our own happiness. We are responsible for turning poison into benefit. And we have the ultimate tool to do it! We chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo in front of the mirror of our lives, the Gohonzon. We are fortunate indeed. 

This is one of my favorite quotes from the Gosho "A Ship to Cross the Sea of Suffering:" "In the Latter Day of the Law (now), the Votary of the Lotus Sutra (us), will appear without fail. The greater the hardships befalling him, the greater the delight he feels, because of his strong faith. Doesn't a fire burn more briskly when logs are added? " and...by extension, our problems cause us to chant and make new determinations. These new determinations strengthen our lives. We forge our own humanity and strength through having problems and defeating them one by one by one. 

President Ikeda says: 
"Instead of becoming discouraged by setbacks or changes of our circumstances, we need to lift ourselves up and take on new challenges with even greater energy. The important thing is that we remain true to the goal we have pledged to achieve that we burn with ever brighter fighting spirit to win in the end."
 (April 5 World Tribune, p.3,)

Creating Financial Fortune

In "My Dear Friends in America" there is an essay by Daisaku Ikeda called "Our Attitude Changes Everything." Here are some of his insights into Financial Fortune:

"When you clearly envision a victorious outcome, engrave it in your heart and are firmly convinced that you will attain it, your brain makes every effort to realize the mental image you have created. Then, through your unceasing efforts, that victory is finally made a reality. 

Andrew Carnegie was born into a family so poor that they couldn't afford to call a midwife to assist at his birth, but by death he had accumulated $400 million. It is difficult to calculate the equivalent value today. 

Carnegie believed in returning his earnings to society. He contributed $60 million to the creation of public libraries and $78 million to improving the educational system. When all his contributions are totaled they amount to $365 million. This is equivalent to a contribution of one million dollars a day for an entire year!
Incidentally, Carnegie's philosophy of victory was that a cheerful personality is more important than wealth. The human heart, he insisted, is just like the body. It should not remain in the shade but should move to a place in the sun. When we face difficulties, we should laugh at them. Carnegie called on everyone to walk out into the sunshine. 
Always turning our hearts to the sun - that kind of life will bring victory, according to Carnegie. As a child he would often tell his impoverished mother: "Mother I promise that someday I will buy you a silk dress. I will make sure that you have servants and your own carriage to go out in."
This determination, this mind of Carnegie's became a force for invincible effort and infinite wisdom in life. His mother also believed in her son's future, believed without the slightest doubt. "I know you will become a great person," she said to him. 
Carnegie never dreamed of the possibility of failure. That is why he could march forward without fear. His energy and confidence were contagious. A story of victory unfolded around Carnegie, with him as its central character.

The Positive Life View Within a Single Moment

You are the playwright of your own victory. You are also the play's hero. Shakespeare wrote, "All the world's a stage. / And all the men and women are merely players. (from As You Like It, act II, scene vii, line 139)

Buddhism teaches us that the individual writes and performs the script of his or her own life. Neither chance nor a divine being writes it for us...

To the Coward Everything is Impossible

Sir Walter Scott wrote that everything is impossible to the coward. Why? Because he sees everything as impossible." 

Generous Hearts Invite Great Happiness

The most important thing is to develop our states of life. When human beings think of nothing but themselves, they increasingly become entrenched in small-mindedness and their small, lesser selves. 
In contrast, those who work toward a great and all-encompassing objective - for the sake of the law, for others, for society - can forge generous hearts and great, magnanimous selves through the mystic function of their minds. Those with big hearts are assured of savoring great happiness."

Daisaku Ikeda is incredibly wise, learned and insightful. I hope we can all take the time every day to read his words.  

An now I am going to chant, and I leave you with a song and hope in your hearts. You are magnificent. Chant your song. Chant your life. Live cheerfully today and every day. And never give up! 

Exert Your All

People shouldn't hesitate to exert their all, 
in a way true to themselves. 
How can you possibly ever know 
how far or fast you can go 
if you've never run all-out? 
To give up even before you've tried 
is actually arrogance - 
an affront to the wondrous power of life within you 
and disrespectful to yourself." 

Sincere Efforts...

Forging Steel-Like Determination - "I WILL WIN!" PowerPrayer

I received this question at chantforhappiness@gmail.com:
"Is it possible to write a few points about these concepts - "itai doshin" and about courage, conviction and confidence?"

Well, "itai doshin"  is, as many of you know, "Many in body, one in mind" It comes from working side-by-side your fellow SGI members to create a peaceful, respectful world of kosen-rufu. It is the fuel for Kosen Rufu and a happy world. Chanting for the happiness of all your SGI friends, getting to know them, and practicing for others leads to itai-doshin. These are not merely empty words. We can't be gossiping about others, or complaining. We have to realize that we are all connected...and that when we slander another member we slander ourselves. We are here to make positive causes not negative ones. We don't have to "like" every single person...but we can stand up for their happiness in our hearts. 
And Courage, conviction and confidence come from our strong prayer in front of the Gohonzon - in front of our lives...with every moment of Daimoku we can strengthen our courage, conviction and confidence!

Read this PowerPrayer before chanting Nam Myoho Renge Kyo and fuell your own determination as you chant!

Forging Steel-like Determination

PowerPrayer for Winning - 

No Matter What!

I will win, 

I will WIN

I WILL WIN!

No matter what

by forging my steel-like determination

I AM Nam-myoho-renge-kyo

I strengthen my life force!

I increase the power of my prayer by 10,000 times! 

I cast away my worries

and fill my mind and heart with positive messages. 

I can do it~ 

I can do anything~ 

No matter how daunting 

my situation may become

I will never give in

something deep in my heart has changed.

I will win over________________________________

I will achieve victory in_________________________

I will not give up on___________________________

I will report victory in__________________________

And I will not give up!

I am definitely going to win

I am absolutely going to make it happen!

(Note from Jamie - please keep records of your victories...make note of how the PowerPrayers have fueled your fire, and you may be in my next book of Success Stories! email me at chantforhappiness@gmail.com)

The Biggest Obstacle...a great quote by Daisaku Ikeda

PowerPrayer for Changing Your Karma and doing your Human Revolution!

This is an excerpt from my upcoming book 

The BuddhaZone, PowerPrayers for Chanting for Your Absolute Happiness:

Treasures of the Heart

Section 1: PowerPrayers for Human Revolution. 

In Nichiren Buddhism it all begins and ends with you. 

You are the one who has power in your life. 

And YOU are the one who can change any karma into mission and any poison into medicine. 

When you change internally, your environment and everything in it changes. 

The world is a mirror of your thoughts, deeds, and feelings. 

When you “do your Human Revolution” you bring forth your sparkling and brilliant Buddhahood from within. With continued practice and focus your entire existence becomes the Buddha world - where everything works to your benefit and you see the workings of the perfection of your life, and you revel in every minute, even the challenging ones.  The purpose of life is Happiness. Having a resilient spirit, and possessing the knowledge that YES, every poison can be changed into a benefit, and that your life, every moment, has profound meaning...well...THIS is absolute Happiness. And available to you through chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo in the manner we have described. This begins your journey:

(Note to readers: PowerPrayers are meant to be read before chanting to increase focus and aim your prayer like a sharp arrow toward the bullseye of your desires.)

PowerPrayer for Human Revolution

Adapted by Jamie and Julia from For Today and Tomorrow, Daily Encouragement, By Daisaku Ikeda. November 17th 

"Only if you challenge your human revolution in a manner that is true to yourself will the people around you naturally begin to trust and respect you. That in itself is the greatest way of laying the groundwork for the spread of Nichiren Daishonin's Buddhism." ~ Daisaku Ikeda

PowerPrayer for Human Revolution

I am doing my Human Revolution! 

I am determined to make any changes necessary 

in my thoughts, 

in my actions, 

in the way that I chant 

and to make every thought, word or deed 

a positive cause every moment of every day. 

As I chant I am rooting the negative karma OUT OF MY LIFE! 

I am determined to make the changes inside myself, 

to change any weakness within me into strengths...

I change this karma now for me and for all my family:

(Fill in the blank below of what karma you are determined to change - you do not have to know WHY you have this karma; you do not have to figure it out...all you need to do it chant to ROOT IT OUT of your life forever!) 

___________________________________________________

I now do my own human revolution 

and raise my life condition! 

I am determined to change in any way necessary to make ___________ happen!

Life! 

I am bringing the determination, wisdom and fire I need 

to create the life of my dreams. 

I AM NAM MYOHO RENGE KYO! 

I AM ROARING LIKE A LION IN MY OWN LIFE! 

I WILL CREATE MY LIFE! 

I do this not only for me, but for everyone who is suffering. 

I am determined to glow within my own life. 

I am a shining light for all who are suffering. 

I am a beacon of hope 

that ANYONE can solve their problems 

by chanting Nam Myoho Renge Kyo. 

I am ready to meet people 

who are ready to hear about this practice!  

I chant to have the most inspiring life. 

Gohonzon (my life) I demand to see these results now!"

Chanting Can Solve EVERY Problem

This blog is about a very unique form of Buddhism...a form that many people have never heard of. 
When integrated into our lives...when, in fact...we BASE our lives on the practice of chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo every morning and evening, attending SGI discussion meetings, studying and teaching others to the best of our ability, we tap into the ultimate positive force in the entire world...our Buddha Nature. And we change our karma (problems) into benefits. 

Some problems change right away, others take more time, but we are doing our own human revolution when we chant, and if we keep chanting we will see our lives change. We will strengthen the CORE of our lives. Strong Lives are happy lives. We still have problems but we greet them with the knowledge that we can change them and create benefits from our challenges. 

Nam-myoho-renge-kyo means: I fuse my life with the mystic law of cause and effect through sound vibration. Or, I am one with the flow of life. It is the literal name of the law of cause and effect, and the ultimate good cause we make in our lives. 
Chanting these words puts us in rhythm with all that is good, right and true. Chanting these words raises our life-condition (what some call "vibration") and when we raise our vibration, everything in our environment also raises in life condition and vibration because of the interconnectivity of our lives and ALL of life. We are able to gain a foothold and change any karma into mission. ANY KARMA! 

Using this chant we can change ANYTHING. ANYTHING. No matter how dark and hopeless it seems at the time. 

But don't believe me. Try it for yourself. It's experiential. Not intellectual. 

The following passage is an excerpt from my upcoming 

(any day now - I promise!) book called

The BuddhaZone, Power Prayers for Chanting Your Way to Happiness. 

You have happened upon a practice that is very unique indeed. Some of the ways this practice is different include these points:

~ The goal of this practice is RESULTS, also called actual proof, or benefits. 

~ As we mentioned, each person is a Buddha, and possesses the entire power of the universe within their own lives. This is the awakening that the original Buddha experienced under the Bodhi tree. We all possess the potential for bringing forth our own Buddhahood (happiness and strength) through chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, right now, in this lifetime without having to focus on making other changes in our lives. There are no lifestyle, diet or rules of behavior and no “paths” to memorize or carefully trod. There is the keen awareness that life operates under the strict law of cause and effect, but most of us knew that already! 

~ Desire is not the enemy. Each person chants for their desires from their heart. Alleviation of desire is NOT the goal of this practice.  

~ There are no clergy, no robes and no temples. There are community centers, and many smaller meetings are held in people’s homes. We are all normal people in the world living extraordinarily happy lives.  

~ We are changing our karma every time we chant. Karma is not immutable. 

~ We do not chant “to” anything. When we are chanting we access our own wisdom and power as a the Buddha, or awakened one. 

~The main practice is reciting the words Nam-myoho-renge-kyo over and over and over. Everyone on earth recites the same phrase. We will explain why, and how to do this in detail. 

~There are no lifestyle rules of any kind. All people regardless of sexual orientation are welcome. 

~ People do not have to “convert” to Buddhism to chant. Anyone can chant. 

~ There is no guilt, there is only the awareness of the law of cause and effect. 

To find out more, click on the link at the right  - The SGI Portal, and you can read all about this practice. You can also access many of the blog writings I've posted. Check out the experiences! Email me at chantforhappiness@gmail.com with any questions or comments. 

I Need a Web Developer!

Go Buddha Go!

If you're a web developer and would like to help me bring the books, audios and other cool things I am creating to the readers of ChantforHappiness.com, please send me an email at chantforhappiness@gmail.com! 
I need someone with Wordpress expertise!

Thanks! Jamie

The Most Powerful Prayers to Get Results Lead to ACTION! Part 2

Part 2.
Written by By SGI-UK Advisor Mitsuhiro Kaneda, UK Express March 2000. Reprinted from the Facebook page The Power of Nam Myoho Renge Kyo

Taking action

Very often, however, members chant a lot of daimoku but do not take any action. Some people don’t take action because they are afraid of the results they might see. They are afraid that they won’t see the result they want, so they don’t take any action. For example, a salaried employee with a fixed income might want to become self-employed, or start his or her own business, but might not take any action for fear of accumulating a lot of debt.

Another common example is found amongst young people who want to get married. Because they’re not sure that the marriage will work out, and that they will live happily ever after, they are full of anxiety. So, before they get married, they think, “Well, maybe we should live together.” Some end up not getting married as a result of having lived together.

So, even when people chant a lot of daimoku, other factors such as personality and human character come into play and prevent people from taking action, even if they are praying.

Of course, taking action also includes Soka Gakkai activities. When you participate in Soka Gakkai activities, you are encouraging others. So you are actually working as a messenger of the Buddha. Inevitably, therefore, all those who participate in Gakkai activities will accumulate good fortune. And because these people accumulate good fortune, they will be able to achieve their goals and show actual proof.

I know that all of us have very different circumstances and situations – some of us may not have that much free time. Nevertheless, I really want to encourage all of you to participate in Gakkai activities because this will allow not only you, but your whole family, to be bathed in good fortune. So in order to achieve our goals, not only do we need to take concrete action, we also need good fortune. That is why Soka Gakkai activities are crucial.

Make up your mind

In Italy, we have a couple who have been living together for fourteen years. Once they came to me because they wanted to receive guidance. I said to them, “You’ve been trying out your relationship by living together for fourteen years now. The fact that it has continued this long, is this not a sign that it is working?

Even though their relationship had been successful and they still wanted to live together, they still weren’t sure whether they should get married. Of course I gave them all kinds of encouragement, but there is one particular point that I would like to share with you. I asked them, “In order to make a firm determination, how much time do you need?” To make a determination requires less than one second. So I asked, “How many seconds there have been in fourteen years?”

You may laugh at this story but please, reflect on your own life.

To sum up, to put Nichiren Daishonin’s Buddhism into practice, we need to decide, chant and take action.

FAITH AND PRACTICE DOUBT-FREE FAITH

DECIDE

Clarify the goal and make a determination

DECIDE CHANT CHANT

If you have a problem,

Chant one million daimoku

ACT ACT

Make maximum effort;

strive to resolve the problem

EXPERIENCE

Accumulating experiences deepens one’s faith

Theories without experiences are no more than pure idealism

RESULT

Show actual proof DON’T DOUBT

Faith means having no doubts

BELIEVE

Written by By SGI-UK Advisor Mitsuhiro Kaneda, UK Express March 2000

The Most Powerful Prayers to Get RESULTS ~ Part 1

Faith and Attitude - Part 1

Written by By SGI-UK Advisor Mitsuhiro Kaneda, UK Express March 2000

(Reprinted from the Facebook Page, The Power of Nam Myoho Renge Kyo)

Today I’d like to talk to you about how to make your prayers as effective as possible.
Firstly, it is very important to set clear goals. If you are sick, your goal will be to get better as quickly as possible; if you have problems with human relationships, you will want to get over these as soon as possible; and if you have financial difficulties, then of course you should be setting goals accordingly.

Once you have decided on the goal, the most important thing to do next is make a strong determination: ‘Whatever happens, I absolutely will attain that goal’. A firm determination like this is very important. The next stage, of course, is prayer. And after chanting daimoku, the next step necessary is to take action in order to realize your goal. Of course, after we’ve done all that, we know what the effect will be: actual proof. If we do not achieve the goal we have set then, in certain cases, we may need to review the determination, set a new goal, and once again strive to achieve it.

Why we need to pray:

There are three reasons why we should pray. Firstly, so we can have the same wisdom as the Buddha. Secondly, so that we can have life-force, in other words the energy, the courage, to take action. Thirdly, so that we can benefit from the protection of the shoten zenjin, the Buddhist ‘gods’, the protective functions within the universe.

One point I’d like to make sure that you really understand, is that the shoten zenjin only start to take action and protect us when we ourselves undertake action. So, in order for us to achieve a goal, we need to act. We need to move. We need to make efforts. And it is important that our actions and our efforts are the best we can possibly undertake. To ensure that our actions and efforts are efficient, we need wisdom. Furthermore, if we are to attain the goal we have set ourselves, we need to make constant efforts – and we also need courage.

So we pray to the Gohonzon to have the wisdom to take the best, most efficient action possible; to have the life-force to make constant efforts; and to attract the protection of the shoten zenjin when we take an action. However, even if we chant ever so hard, it will be very difficult to boil that pot of spaghetti unless we take action. And to make sure that we not only boil the spaghetti, but that it is al dente, we need wisdom and we need experience.

Quality of prayer

The quality of our prayer is also extremely important. For example, someone who is sick may simply pray to overcome their illness. Or they may pray to regain their health in order to fight for kosen rufu. There is a very big difference between these two types of prayer.

To take another example, suppose there’s a couple who have been unable to have children, despite trying for a long time. While they may be chanting to have a child as soon as possible, what are their reasons for wanting a child? Are their reasons purely personal, because it would make them happy, because they want to have children? Or are they chanting to have a child do that they can bring this child up to become someone who will be a capable person for kosen rufu? There is a huge difference between these two in terms of quality of prayer.

The reason it is very important for us to focus on the quality of our prayer is that President Ikeda has said that true and sincere prayers for kosen rufu (not prayers aimed simply at justifying our own point of view) will be answered without fail.

To be continued in the next post

Written by By SGI-UK Advisor Mitsuhiro Kaneda, UK Express March 2000

Relative or Absolute Happiness?

From the Muddy Swamp we turn Mud to GOLD!

The Muddy Swamp is where we are "born." 
The Muddy Swamp is where all our stories begin. 
Our own personal muddy swamps are the mud that we transmute to GOLD as modern-day alchemists. 
And we have found the secret formula to transmute mud to gold: chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo over and over...and over and over...every day of our lives...not giving up for ONE second. (Well, maybe we do give up for one second, until a fellow SGI member (and good friend in faith) hauls us back onto the boat and we make a fresh new determination to win once again!) 
Here's an excerpt from our book The BuddhaZone, PowerPrayers for Chanting Your Way to Absolute Happiness about the Lotus Flower:

The lotus is a very special and unusual flower. It is the only flower in the known natural world that produces both blossoms and seeds simultaneously, whereas other flowers tend to flower first, then  dry up and then produce seed pods. Others, still, make seeds and then flowers. In either case, neither one does it simultaneously as does the lotus. But wait, there's more: the lotus exists on both land and water, more accurately in land and above water. Each lotus seed eventually finds its way down to the bottom of the pond and makes of its rich murky and dark loam a profound root bed. It draws the composting muck at the bottom of the pond up though its body and turns it into the precise nourishment needed to produce an astonishingly beautiful blossom that hovers just above the water through which it came. When we talk about the Lotus as Buddhists, we are talking about peace  of mind, self sufficiency, happiness, and most importantly, simultaneity. 

Simultaneity is a big word for people. What the heck does it mean, really? The Buddha taught through the  Lotus Sutra the astonishing fact that all causes and effects exist simultaneously. In fact, all time truly exists simultaneously. Because of this, when we pray as Buddhists, things start to manifest right away. And, if we really look, we will begin to recognize the signs that our prayer is having an effect as soon as we begin chanting. 

Through this practice, one realizes that the Lotus, which is emblematic of our very life, blooms not in spite of the murky depths, but because of them. Thus, the deeper the swampy mess of our life, the more "dross" or base matter we have at our disposal, so to speak, to use as we make of it our very own alchemical golden happiness. No trouble is too serious, no disaster too tragic, no loss too painful for the mystically beautiful process of value creation that is our essential and true purpose, once we have come to understand who it is that we truly are: The Lotus aka The Buddha.

We owe the brilliance of our lives to the Muddy Swamp! Tina Turner turned her Muddy Swamp into a world of gold...and in her mid-seventies shines forth with the radiance of the mystic law. 

And throughout our lives we return to our own Muddy Swamp to dig up something that we can turn to gold. As Daisaku Ikeda says " We summoned this storm!" Usually it looks as though something has "happened" to us. But in reality is something from our own lives...a challenge...an obstacle...an opportunity to turn poison into medicine through chanting the name of the mystic law. 

And all of us are alike. We all share challenges together - which is what makes the SGI organization of Buddhist practitioners so important. We each grow and learn from each other. In August, as you may know, I launched the Worldwide Million Daimoku Campaign (It's not too late to join the Worldwide Million Daimoku Campaign. Just set your goals, make a chart that represents 300 hours and start your own Million Daimoku Campaign. You can have a set end date if you want (mine is the end of the year so I am chanting 2 hours a day), or you can have no set end date and that's okay too...just check off one space for each hour you chant. Email me at chantforhappiness@gmail.com to let me know you're in!)

Right after I launched this campaign I went deep into the muddy swamp with someone I love with all my heart. It's too early to share the details, but I can tell you that it is getting better and better and better, and my fierce determination to win in every aspect of the situation has never wavered, no matter how wildly my emotions were jumping about. I will use this experience to inspire others. And my loved one will do the same! 

Just like being on a boat...I have a rudder to my life...the rudder of Nam-myoho-renge kyo. And as long as I keep my hand on that rudder by chanting abundant daimoku, encouraging and chanting with others, doing shakubuku and studying...I know I WILL WIN. There is no doubt in my mind. One dear friend received her Gohonzon in August, and another will receive theirs next week. 

Just remember, no matter how muddy it seems...and sometimes it feels like we are really stuck in that mud...by basing our lives on this practice we will WIN. Winning means happiness. Winning means actual proof. Winning means inspiring other. Winning means strength and fulfillment in life. 

We are all winners as long as we don't give up!

Join me in Bali in November! I will be leading a workshop from November 16th through the 22nd on brining out your inner Buddha. We'll explore Bali together and deepen our faith in our own innate, powerful Buddhahood! 
Visit Love Your Spirit Tours to enroll! 

Read the Post below again!

Hi! I left Kate Randolph's life changing experience from yesterday up for today. So many of you have written me about how your lives and viewpoints have changed from reading it. Please enjoy it, read it again ad share it with your friends