Personal Guidance from Akemi

Winter always turns to Spring, right? 

Isn't this the coolest bonzai tree? I wonder how old it is. 

Yesterday, after that blogpost about how hard it is to chant sometimes,  I ended up chanting at least 2 hours. I was so fortunate ~ a friend in faith came over to chant for an hour, and we head a tozo here last night. Thank goodness for the Soka Gakkai and our family of practitioners. We all take turns helping each other to help themselves. We are all Buddhas!

This weekend I was able to get guidance from our new SGI National Women's Leader Akemi Bailey-Haynie and I am finally able to chant with my full heart using the guidance she gave me. 

Seeking guidance is, in itself, a profound cause. 

She said to chant: 

Whatever there is in my life that has allowed me to have such a child who is suffering so much - I resolve to change it. 

I offer this guidance to you in case it may help you in any way. 

We look INSIDE for the answers. Not outside. That is why this practice is so profound. That is also why it can be sooooo difficult to do. Buddhism is not for cowards. The great Gosho quote says "A sword will be useless in the hands of a coward." 

How courageous can we be? 

Daily Guidance from Daisaku Ikeda

BUDDHISM is the wellspring of courage. When we possess courage, we can transform any misfortune or suffering into sustenance for our own development and the strength for achieving our mission.


THE "power of practice" encompasses the strength of your daimoku and the energy with which you work for kosen-rufu - for the happiness of all people and the prosperity of society as a whole. The stronger the power of your practice for yourself and others, the more you can tap the power of the Buddha and the power of the Law of the Gohonzon.


YOU must not be half-hearted. When you pursue something with a strong determination, you will have no regrets even should you fail. But if you succeed, you will achieve truly great things. Either way, your unceasing efforts will lead you to the next path you should follow.


IN seeking the truth, there is never a point when we can say, "This is good enough," and have done with our efforts. Similarly, in practising for the happiness of others, there is no point at which we can say, "I have done enough." The same goes for our practice to develop and perfect ourselves.


EDUCATION provides the ship, the map and the compass for the exploration of those unknown inner regions. Believing in people, believing in some rich unknown something and drawing it out - that is the vigourous spirit of education. It has something in common with true religious spirit as well.

Why is it Sometimes so HARD to Chant? And How Can We Get Though These Times?

Let's face it, we all go through times when it is extremely difficult to chant. 
Sometimes the mirror of our lives, the Gohonzon and our daily act of chanting is just so hard. It is hard to see our lives. My own personal opinion is that when we feel this way, we are poised for a breakthrough. And when we can finally sit down chant with all our hearts we grow, we change, we evolve. 

I am coming out of such a time now. Last week's obstacle threw me off balance. I went for guidance, I went to Linda Johnson's speech, but every time I sat down to chant there was so much screaming going on in my head I could only chant a few moments. At times I could chant more, but it was so hard. The whole time I was chanting there was so much noise in my head about this obstacle. And it wasn't pretty. And I was berating myself and my life for even having this obstacle in my life. 

Last night when I talked to my dear friend Kate she said that not being able to chant at times is just natural and part of our practice. She said don't get mad at yourself, just do gongyo twice a day as always and even if you can only chant a few minutes, concentrate as much as you can. She also reminded me that I am facing some core issues in my life...I am dealing with important karma changing issues...this is a big one, a crucial moment. And I need to have respect for myself and my life and KNOW that I am going to show victory. When I met with Akema Bailey-Haynie the other day she said I am in the middle of the ocean, but I will get to the other shore. We all experience this don't we? We just have to keep swimming and not give up midway! 

After my conversation with Kate, this morning I was able to chant for 45 minutes without stopping, and with full concentration. 

We are not perfect. I am not perfect. We are all Buddhas at our Buddha coming out party, and we all have glitches. Even when it is hard to chant I stay connected, I do gongyo, I read experiences, I encourage as many people as I can...and I know that it will all click back in, and I'll get back into that groove when I'm chanting a lot, and the more I chant, the more I want to chant, and ZOOM I break through. 

We need to have patience with ourselves, take care to not get out of the orbit of faith, and remember that this is a life-long practice and keep going! 

Daily Guidance by Daisaku Ikeda

ONE of Nichiren Daishonin’s writings that we have read countless of times stated: “You must not spend your lives in vain and regret it for ten thousand years to come.” (WND, p622) Where can we find a life that is not spent in vain? It is found, I assert, in a life dedicated to fulfilling the vow of mentor and disciple to realize kosen-rufu, which leads directly to world peace.

DEVELOP yourself so that even just seeing you will hearten and inspire those who have been shipwrecked on the voyage of life. Leave behind great achievements that will encourage all those who follow.

THE Mystic Law is the “Law of treasures”. One who embraces this Law will definitely lead a “life of treasures”. Moreover, indiscernible benefit of one’s faith also passes on to one’s ancestors and descendants and to the members of one’s family, definitely enabling them to traverse upon the brilliant path of happiness.

A courageous person is happy; an optimist in the best sense of the world, he is able to live in a powerful and forthright manner. The great benefit of the Gohonzon will manifest itself in the life of a person who possesses such courage.

WE are fortunate enough to embrace the Gohonzon. We have faith, which enables us to change our destiny, and we chant daimoku, the source of tremendous joy. The Gosho states, “Nam-myoho-renge-kyo is the greatest joy of al joys.” In this sense, as we chant daimoku to the Gohonzon and cause tremendous joy to well up within us, we can resolve all of our problems and unhappiness.

Today's Guidance from Daisaku Ikeda

Saturday
22nd February

Sent from reader Nalina Prakash

TO put in practical terms, 

through faith in the Mystic Law, 

one can change a life shrouded in darkness 

into a life of hope, value and harmony. 

In this way, one can enter the eternal path of life 

that is filled with the greatest virtue and blessings. 

This is what our Buddhist practice 

enables us to accomplish.

ANY difficult problem or suffering 

can be solved with faith. 

If your faith becomes weak, 

then suffering will turn into complaint and criticism, and you will destroy the source of benefit in your life.

Faith gives rise to a life of the highest value 

and greatest satisfaction. 

Never forget the importance of the word "faith" 

as you build a life of total fulfillment 

which is overflowing with benefit.

DIALOGUE and action - 

it is important that these be employed simultaneously. We take action while holding discussions 

and discuss things while taking action. 

Herein lies the strength of the SGI's tradition.

BY pointing out to someone that his/her actions 

are inflicting suffering and hurt on others, 

we can urge that person 

to move in a more positive direction. 

Our honesty, in fact can open the way 

for forging deep bonds of genuine friendship 

with that person. 

In other words, it is quite possible for a "bad" friend 

to become a "good" friend.


ALL of you who are striving earnestly for kosen-rufu 

are infinitely noble and respect~worthy. 

In a letter to one of his disciples, 

Nichiren Daishonin revealed 

the following important principle, 

"Since the Law is wonderful, 

the person is worthy of respect; 

since the person is worthy of respect, 

the land is sacred". (WND, p1097) 

Greatness is not a matter of wealth or social status. Truly noble are those who uphold the supreme Law; 

and any places where they dwell 

is automatically the Land of Eternally Tranquil Light that has existed for all time.

Daisaku Ikeda

I am chanting for us all to have a day of total victory in which we deepen our faith, show actual proof, and are the shining lights in the darkness. This blog is written by Jamie Lee Silver and is not an official SGI publication. I love the SGI, and seek to connect all readers with our wonderful movement for Peace, Culture and Education. Click on the SGI link at the top right to find out more. 

Sensei's Guidance ~ Be Ourselves When We Chant

Friday
21st February
FAITH can be either strong or weak, deep or shallow. 
Only through strong, deep faith
can one develop great joy and great confidence.
He/she can also make himself/herself shine 
throughout his/her life with such faith.


THE issue of birth and death is the most important issue
for human beings, for whom death is inescapable. 
Only when we base ourselves on a true view of life 
- one which clarifies this problem of birth and death - 
can we have a proper perspective on life, 
society and the world.


A person whose heart is continually swayed 
by such occurrences as becoming a leader, 
failing to do so, being strictly scolded, or warmly praised, cannot be said to have faith; nor can a person who takes
his/her position or status for granted and grows decadent.


REVERE the Gohonzon as the fundamental basis of your life, reach out to it and take your problems to it 
as naturally as a child reaches to his/her mother.
When you are suffering or when you are sad, 
there is no need to put on a good face 
or pretend everything is alright; 
just chant daimoku exactly as you are, 
unreservedly giving expression to the feelings in your heart.

THOUGH we may seem to be chanting alone, 
we are not. 
As we chant, untold billions of heavenly deities 
are facing the Gohonzon with us.
In this way, 
the protective forces of the universe assemble en masse
and work to safeguard each one of you, 
manifesting in your environment
as the actions of the people near you, 
the actions of your friends and fellow members.

Akema Bailey-Haynie's Family Experience ~ One Change in Our Hearts Can Transform our Lives ~

In the February Living Buddhism magazine there is an article about Faith for a Harmonious Family with a section written by our new National Women's Division Leader Akemi Bailey-Haynie. 

She said that when she was 17, she and her sister were working on activities in 1980 to welcome President Ikeda to Chicago for the 'Capture the Spirit Festival." Their father showed up drunk, clinging to the wall, and screaming at her and her sister. The two of them were crying in embarrassment and despair. 

"When we spoke to a senior in faith, he encouraged us to use prayer to transform how we felt about our father. It was perhaps our first lesson in the "oneness of life and its environment.

"That night, my sister and I prayed sincerely about this point and were able to summon our appreciation for even having a father. As if responding to the transformation that occurred in our lives, the next morning we found our father sitting at the kitchen table, cleanly shaven and wearing a suit, reading the newspaper. We could not believe our eyes! He signed up to attend Alcoholics Anonymous that day, and everything began to change from there. 

"It took years of practice for me to realize that, because my father terrorized our home, he guaranteed our absolute happiness. He taught me that I could transform anything with faith."