Fundamental Darkness Be Gone!

Understanding Fundamental Darkness is one of the keys to becoming enlightened, and HAPPY! 

And "Fundamental Darkness", although it sounds scary, is not scary at all AS LONG AS YOU RECOGNIZE IT FOR WHAT IT IS!!! When you see it for what it is, and don't give it any power you can vanquish it from your life. 

Fundamental darkness is only ignorance of your fundamental brightness. And when you are practicing correctly you WILL experience it! It's part of the process!

That's how simple it is. 

It's not a force that will overwhelm you, unless you give it power! 

For me,  fundamental darkness is the negative voice in my head urging me to give up. The voice says "This is not possible Jamie girl...don't even hope for it...no one you know ever accomplished this goal, what makes you think you can?" and on and on and on. It leads me to doubt and fear...and I have the power to lead myself back into light and hope. It also appears as a feeling of hopelessness...a feeling of insatiable longing....that too is fundamental darkness. Unless I see it for what it IS, I feel the hopelessness is real. But it's not real! Do you see what I'm saying? 

Now, if I were to believe those voices, and continue giving them power...well then, fundamental darkness WINS. But if I instead call out "I KNOW YOU FOR WHAT YOU ARE!!! HA! Negative thoughts BE GONE~!!!!" If I say "I don't CARE how many times you come to defeat me...I am the BUDDHA! I am stronger than you! I will WIN! I will recognize my FUNDAMENTAL GOODNESS INSTEAD! My life is a brilliant example of actual proof of this Buddhism! I WILL accomplish what is IMPOSSIBLE! I will be absolutely happy and healthy in every way!" Then I have power. 

Listen to the supportive voices in your head...SUMMON them!...write them on your walls! 

Train your thoughts to say: 

"Buddhism is winning or losing...I choose to WIN! I am the Buddha! I have all the power of the universe right here between my hands when I am roaring the roar of the Buddha and chanting Nam Myoho Renge Kyo and dispelling these doubts from my mind.!!!!! I AM the BUDDHA! No ONE and no THOUGHT will defeat me. And I VOW I will overcome my karma and be absolutely happy in every way...mind, body, spirit! I will be an example for others that this practice works. My life is an example of glowing, brilliant happiness and I can be a beacon of hope for others! Goodbye fundamental darkness! SHOOO! I feel and see my fundamental BRIGHTNESS instead!!!!

I'm focusing on that!"

Roar the roar of a courageous buddha! Do not give into fundamental darkness. It is not who you are. You are a brilliant beacon of hope for everyone. Claim your brightness! Embrace your Buddhahood! Vanquish your fears! Ever. Single. Day!!!!

You Can Chant for Anything

You can chant for anything....anything. 
I mean it. 
Anything. 
I recently had a breakthrough of a personal nature... one I thought would never happen. I thought it was just one of those things I had to accept...that it was just "me" And one day, sitting in front of the Gohonzon, I thought..."Well, I always say the Gohonzon works for everything...maybe I'll chant about this little thing..." and boom...immediately I had a breakthrough in something I'd never thought to chant about before. 
Chanting Nam Myoho Renge Kyo works for EVERYTHING. There are no exceptions. 
Try it on some little thing today and see what happens!

Put YOUR LIFE and Happiness FIRST!

Have you ever been on your way to an SGI meeting and had something come up that was trying to stop you from attending? Did you give in, or did you make it to the meeting? 


Did you ever sit down to chant and then get pulled away by the endless to-do list in your head? When you stay in front of the Gohonzon and chant anyway...then you WIN in your life!


You know there are obstacles that appear in our lives to prevent us from moving forward. We call these "Sansho shima", and when we see them for what they are, we can boldly move ahead forward and create real and lasting happiness. For instance, before a really important meeting some time ago, I got a call that someone was going to make us all late to the meeting if we didn't figure out a way to change the situation. OBSTACLE I thought! And I quickly changed the situation by figuring the best course of action so we could all get there on time. 


I realized at the very beginning of my practice (27 years ago) that the time I spent chanting actually gave me MORE TIME, because it put me in rhythm with my surroundings. This is the profound nature of chanting. 


When we tap into our essential life force through chanting Nam Myoho Renge Kyo our lives move in sync with our entire surroundings. 


So I am writing this blog to urge you to put your life first by putting your practice first. 


The power of your life force, and the strength of your practice are one and the same. 


When you put your practice first you put your life first. 


When you put your life first you can create anything you want in your life.  


I live my life to be a walking example of this! Every morning I sit down and put my practice and my life first. 


I go to an SGI meeting every week, and I have the highest life condition of happiness ~ I literally glow. It is not unusual for people, after meeting me to seek me out to find out what it is about me that creates this glow. That's why it's so easy for me to do shakubuku, (introduce people to this practice) 


My LIFE does shakubuku for me. 
My energy, enthusiasm and vibrancy just shine through. 
They HAVE to shine through because I focus my life on polishing my shiny life every single morning and evening. 


I chant for my bright Buddhahood to sparkle and shine. 


I chant for my friends and district members and blog readers. 


That's where true happiness lies. I put my life first by winning every single morning. 
I don't even use an alarm clock any more. I wake up in time to chant one or two hours, work out, blog...you get the picture...all because I put my practice first. I also spend my days helping others become happy. That makes my light glow extra bright! When I know I have helped someone overcome their challenges and learn to put their life first....I know that person has the tools to create the life of their dreams. What could possibly make me happier than that? 
And you know how much I love to hear from the readers of this blog. I love to know your challenges, your successes, your questions...everything. When I get your comments it makes me so happy! 
Let me hear how you have put your life first and claimed your own happiness!

My Fortune baby! Heading to Loyola Medical School!

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

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

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

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


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

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


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


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


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

Happy Saturday!

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


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


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


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

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

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


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


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


You will make a room full of good friends!


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


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


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


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


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

Courageous and Determined Blog Readers!

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


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


And I have one important reminder:


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


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


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


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


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