From Daisaku Ikeda to all of us

"Seen from the perspective of faith and Buddhism,

everything has profound meaning.

There is no need whatsoever

for us to vacillate between elation and despair

at each turn of events.

There is no such thing

as a storm

that will continue blowing and wreaking havoc without end.

In the same way,

there is no hardship that will continue forever.

There are clear days and there are rainy days.

If we are swayed by our environment,

rejoicing one moment and despairing the next

amid ever-changing circumstances,

then we will not be able to accomplish

a true revolution

in our state of life.

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

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

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

Great Quote from Daisaku Ikeda

“People who love

with the most all-consuming fervor

are those

who live life

to the fullest,

regardless

of how long

the physical existence lasts.

To invest

one’s heart and soul

in caring for others,

to burn with passionate love for humanity,

is what Buddhists call

the Boddhisatva Way.”

I believe

this kind of perfect life

constitutes the way

to optimal health

and true longevity.”

Daisaku Ikeda

A New Friend and Buddhist

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Aaron's First Day of Medical School!

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

Aaron posted on Facebook yesterday: 

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

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

We are all so proud and happy.

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

What tremendous actual proof!!

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

Thank YOU for spreading the word! 

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

Have a great Monday!

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

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


I will naturally attract opportunities that delight me!


I will make lots of new friends and connections!


I will become a published author!


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

How Do You Mend a Broken Heart?

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


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


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


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


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


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


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


A few other tips for getting over a broken heart:


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


Strengthen your faith more than ever! 


And stay BUSY!!! 


Do any of you have stories to share?

More Congratulations for Tania and a reader question

This question was sent by a reader yesterday:


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


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


My answer:


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


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


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


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


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


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

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


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


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


This outlook will not change anything! 


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

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


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


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


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


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


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


Anyone care to share your thoughts?