Perseverance ~ Some Quotes from Daisaku Ikeda

The sun WILL rise!

Perseverance 

by Daisaku Ikeda:

"No matter what the circumstances, 
you should never concede defeat. 
Never conclude that you've reached a dead-end, 
that everything is finished. 

You possess a glorious future.

Precisely because of that, 
you must persevere and study. 

Life is eternal. 
We need to focus 
on the two existences of the present and the future 
and not get caught up in worry about the past. 
We must always have the spirit to begin anew 
"from this moment," 
to initiate a new struggle each day."  

From Faith in Action page 146. 

"We must put down strong roots, 
we must be strong. 
Inner strength is a prerequisite for happiness, 
a prerequisite for upholding justice and one's beliefs. 
One of the Buddha's titles is "He Who Can Forebear."
To courageously endure, 
persevere and overcome all difficulties 
~ the Buddha, 
is the ultimate embodiment of the virtue of forbearance. The power of faith gives us the strength 
to weather and survive any storm. 
Perseverance is the essence of a Buddha."

Faith in Action, by Daisaku Ikeda, page 147. 

Here in Chicago we are expecting another winter storm. And many of us are weathering storms of our own all over the world. I know this from your emails. As Daisaku Ikeda says, it is important to persevere and never give up. No matter what.  We are not here to master suffering. We have the opportunity to challenge our fate every morning during Gongyo and head out cheerfully to face whatever the day may bring. I hope that no matter what we are facing, that we can bring a smile to all we meet. Such is the way of the Buddha. 

Today I leave you with my favorite quote 
from Daisaku Ikeda:

"When one sun rises, 
everything is illuminated."

Happy Birthday Nichiren Daishonin ~ with a great link to his writings

Nichiren Daishonin was born February 16th, 1222. He is considered a "reformer," even a revolutionary by some. He discovered the key to happiness, the Mystic Law itself written in the title of the Lotus Sutra "Myoho Renge Kyo," and added "Nam" to the beginning, signifying "I devote my life to the mystic law of cause and effect through sound vibration (or sutra). 
He devoted his life to teaching the power of this Mystic Law, the power that can only be gained through chanting it, through studying it, and by passing it along to others.
During the course of his life he showed us the power of the Mystic Law by overcoming many hardships while encouraging others...the perfect model for our own lives. 

Here is my gift for you today on Nichiren's birthday - the complete library of his works:

Happy Birthday Nichiren and thank you SGI for this site!

This picture was posted today on Facebook. I've never seen it before, but believe it is of Nichiren don't know where it is located. I find it very moving. If you know anything about this statue please drop me at note at chantforhappiness@gmail.com

What's your favorite Gosho quote? 

http://www.sgilibrary.org/writings.php

Sensei's Four Guidelines for leading a Healthy Life

"The Buddha's benefit is life force; it is the power to thrive." 

"Each day, 
we receive this immeasurable benefit from the Gohonzon. 

(The Gohonzon = the power of our own lives manifested when we chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo)

Therefore the more we praise 
the great, beneficial power of the Gohonzon, 
the more our own lives will increase 
in majesty and power and shine with brilliance.

"With faith in the Gohonzon as the foundation, 
we pray, take action, 
and speak out for the happiness of others. 

The maintenance of this correct rhythm 
directs one's entire being 
toward longevity, health and happiness. 

To explain the rhythm of faith manifesting itself in daily life in practical terms, I once proposed the following 

Four guidelines for leading a healthy life:

1 ~ Do an invigorating daily gongyo
2 ~ Conduct your daily life in a reasonable and productive manner
3 ~ Be of service to others
4 ~ Maintain sound eating habits

It might be said that faith in the Mystic Law is the fundamental catalyst of health and longevity."

From the Heart of the Lotus Sutra, by Daisaku Ikeda, page 154. 

We are the Buddhas of Limitless Joy!

My flowers to you!

You are loved! 

I am loved! 

We are all the Buddhas of Limitless, Limit-less JOY!

Happy Valentine's Day! 
I have decided that this day is no longer about anyone else sending me love, it is ALL about me expressing love. My list of those I love is long and wonderful and encompasses the entire planet. I am sending love and Daimoku to all my friends from all over the the states, (Illinois, California, Oregon, Washington, Montana and more) to the UK, France, Belgium, Ireland, Italy, Africa, Germany, Finland, Sweden, New Zealand, India, Singapore, Japan, Australia, and all the countries I didn't mention! 

I am interested in you! Write me today and tell me where you live at chantforhappiness@gmail.com, or send a real, written note to Jamie Lee Silver, 17W702 Butterfield, #104, Oakbrook Terrace, IL 60181. 

We are the Buddhas of Limitless Joy! 
From The Heart of the Lotus Sutra, 
page 171, by Daisaku Ikeda:

"Every morning 
we start out from the origin of life. 
Every morning 
the sun of beginningless time rises in our hearts! 

The Record of the Orally Translated Teachings says:

"Morning after morning we rise up with the Buddha, 
evening after evening we lie down with the Buddha. 
Moment by moment we attain the way, 
moment by moment we reveal our true identity."
(p.83). 

When we exert ourselves 

in chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo 

and carrying out activities for kosen-rufu, 

our true identity 

~ the Buddha of limitless joy~ 

appears in our lives. 

Our wisdom is activated, 

courage wells forth, 

and we can enjoy a state of life of total freedom. 

This is what 

Casting off the transient 

and revealing the true 

means for us. 

Put Down Our Phones ~ Bring Forth Our Buddhahood!

"From this moment forth" ~ "Hon Nim Myo" ~ Such a powerful phrase. Every moment we begin again!

This morning I left my phone in the bedroom while I chanted. I chanted an unbroken hour and it was a wonderful time of communing with my highest self. As I was chanting I was very aware that I have slowly let my phone creep back into my practice...always beside me as I chant. 

Many things occurred in my mind this morning. "I wonder what the weather is going to be like? I wonder what's on my schedule after work? Did any men ask me out? Do I have any emails?" And I could feel how the habit of continually checking my phone has eroded my time in front of the Gohonzon in deep prayer. 

Every time my mind wandered in this way I brought is back to my REAL desires. I focused on the prayer to bring Bonten and Taishaku and the Sun, Moon and stars into my life and all the Gakkai members - dispelling any negativity. I focused on changing my karma regarding relationships and renewing my focus on the health of my body. 

I brought my mind back to my real prayers, my real desires, not my "wondering, wandering mind" that seeps into my thoughts sometimes. I chanted to raise my life condition to see through the eyes of the Buddha, hear through the ears of the Buddha and have the discerning mind of the Buddha. 

It was refreshing not to have my phone near.

I know I'm not alone in this challenge! I know there are many of us tethered to our phones and devices for various reasons. I challenge all of us ~ including me ~  to once again put down our electronics, stop the noise in our heads, and deeply, deeply focus on our real prayers! 

President Ikeda's Guidance for Today

Wednesday February 12th, 2014

BUDDHISM teaches 

"attaining Buddhahood 

without changing your original state."

This means that we ordinary people 

in the nine states of being
can attain Buddhahood as we are, 

in our original states. 

We can attain
a state of absolute happiness, 

here, now, 

in the midst of this very life.


TO be swayed by one's destiny 

is most regrettable. 

However, when you continue to chant daimoku 

to the Gohonzon sincerely, 

you will develop the wisdom to change yourself 

for the better 

and build a life that is directed towards happiness. 

This is in accord with the principle of
"substituting faith for wisdom" (ishin daie).


HAUGHTINESS and harsh language or behavior 

are evidence of one's lack of culture. 

In Buddhism, those who are wise 

are termed human beings,
while those who are foolish and vain 

are naught but animals.


THERE may be some people 

who, for one reason or another, 

have no room in their hearts 

to enjoy the beauty of flowers. 

They come home from work, 

complain about their day and go to sleep. 

We can try to help them change their mindset 

by drawing their attention 

to the beauty of flowers or of a work of art. 

That often is enough 

to get them to open
their hearts and minds to all sorts of new possibilities.


WORDS are very important. 

Leaders in particular 

must be very careful about what they say. 

Words are decisive. 

As it said in the Gosho, 

"The voice does the Buddha's work." 

(Gosho Zenshu, p400) 

Our words reveal our character, 

our wisdom 

and our attitude towards life.

Thank you for emailing this to me every day Nalini Prakash! 

Click here to Reply, Reply to all, or Forward

PowerPrayer for Awakening our own Buddha Nature!

I just finished a wonderful hour of studying 
"The Heart of the Lotus Sutra" by Daisaku Ikeda. 
(Available at sgi-usa.org - you can click on the portal to the right). 
As a fellow SGI member and lover of this practice (not as an official representative of the SGI) I share my thoughts here with you:   

"The Heart of the Lotus Sutra" is truly the story of our lives. In the Lotus Sutra, Shakyamuni reveals that he did not attain enlightenment in his present lifetime as so many people assume. (And as Shakyamuni said in earlier sutras) In the Lotus Sutra he reveals that he attained enlightenment in "beginningless time" and that we, as practitioners of Nichiren Buddhism also attained enlightenment in beginningless time, and are fulfilling our vow to come to this world and show everyone the path to happiness by using the example of our own lives, never being defeated, and overcoming every obstacle.  

Once we are awakened to the fact that we are Buddhas equal to the original Buddha, we can embrace every challenge with fresh eyes, saying to ourselves 

"Yes! I chose this challenge. 
I chose this because I KNOW 
that I can chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo 
and absolutely, without a doubt I can change this.
It is up to me. 
I have the power to tap into the vast resources within, 
as long as I stay focused on my mission for kosen-rufu." 

Each of us can awaken every day with the reality that we are Boddhisatvas of the Earth ~ Dancing in happiness ~ assured of our own power to overcome anything in our lives, through reading President Ikeda's words, chanting, refreshing our determination and knowing, absolutely knowing that we chose this existence to manifest our highest potential. 

What kind of PowerPrayer (thoughts in our minds while we are chanting) would be useful?  
Let's look at a few of Sensei's quotes from "The Heart of the Lotus Sutra,"

"The Buddha's original state of life is identical with all people's original state of life. They could not be in any way different. Fundamentally, all people are Buddhas. The only difference is that the Buddha understands this while others are ignorant of it. " p. 153

When we realize that we are Buddhas from beginningless time "We can attain a state of eternal happiness as indestructible as a daimond~that is, the true aspect of the Buddha ~ in our lives." and that "No matter how heavy our burden of karma, through tapping our inner life force, we can revolutionize our existence." p. 163. 
"It enables us to address the reality of our situations with a fresh, forward-looking spirit, always basing ourselves on life's "original moment." 

Sensei goes on to quote Josei Toda who talks about how we all dwelt together as Buddhas of absolute happiness before making our vows to return to this world and lead others to happiness. 

We are all here fulfilling our vow joyously together. 

What problem could stop us? 
Could financial difficulty stop us?...not unless we let it. 
How about heartbreak, a karma many of us are challenging?  No, I have not yet found my "soulmate." But I am still en-couraged. Every day I chip away at my karma right along with you. And every day I awaken refreshed...when I study, chant, encourage others and go to SGI meetings. We have such precious lives. People are depending on us to shine. We ARE the suns in our lives! 

PowerPrayer for
Awakening Our Own Buddha Nature!
By Jamie Lee Silver, from the Blog Chantforhappiness.com. Please do not cut and paste this without sharing its origin. 

Life! 
Once again I greet you in front of the Gohonzon! 
I appreciate one more day in this world of strife! 
Once again I strive at every moment 
to bring forth the world of Buddhahood within. 
Right now I am raising my life condition! 
I am determined to live in wisdom, 
tapping the highest potential in my life. 
I am determined to harmonize with my fellow humans 
in a way that makes a difference. 
I am determined to be all I can be, 
and fulfill my vow for kosen-rufu! 
(Happiness and respect for all of life - 
the raising of the life-condition of ALL)
I am determined to forge ahead 
with wisdom, happiness and composure. 
May I live this day fully and happily, 
and shine like the sun! 
I am determined to_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
as I joyously bring forth my Buddhahood!