Chanting Every Morning..Every Evening...Every Morning...Every Evening!!!!

I'm getting a lot of emails from readers lately and many of them have a theme I'd like to touch on. Many of you are asking how long to chant and when and where to chant. 

I know many of us come from highly structured religions with a lot of rules to them. Our practice of Buddhism does not have these rules. It is truly a self-directed practice. 

The only "rule" I talk about and adhere to, is doing morning and evening Gongyo every single day. I also determine to chant an hour each morning.  Of course, there are days when I don't chant an hour in the morning...but I ALWAYS do gongyo every morning.  I base my life on these practices. And I adjust when I have to. If I have a plane to catch and I'm waking up at 3am, I don't usually chant an hour, but that doesn't happen very often! But the point is, the practice is UP TO US!

How much are we suffering? How determined are we to change? 

And remember, there is no guilt in this practice...there is only the law of cause and effect! 

So if you miss, don't feel bad, just determine to do better and get yourself the support you need. When I first started chanting my sponsor came over every day for a week to help me get evening gongyo established in my life as a practice.  I have helped others in this way. We have each other in the Soka Gakkai. 

My five keys to a successful practice outline the other guidelines...study, introducing others...encouraging others.
You can get them using the link to the right. 

The MOST importnat thing is do not give up. Whatever you are facing you can win. Chant every morning and evening! You can do it! 

(I'm about to go give a very brief experience about Ben at our chapter meeting. We have found a place where he can begin the next phase of his life. He has not been accepted yet, but he is so much better and so much more the Ben I know right now. I know it is my Daimoku...my deep determination that NO MATTER WHAT he will live a life of value...a life that matters to him. He is my child...we have shared karma...and I have been chanting for my OWN happiness to flow from me and affect the world - I have to leave for the meeting now - have a great day!) 

Making Our Troubles No More than "Dust in the Wind"

In the important Gosho "The Opening of the Eyes", Nichiren Daishonin displays for us, engraves for us, and explains for us his towering life force...the same life force that we all, as Votaries of the Lotus Sutra possess. He brought this life force out of himself and we can too. That's one of the purposes of this practice...to be happy amidst the struggles of daily life, not in spite of them and not begrudging them. 

It's words really hit home for me since I feel I have been assailed with extreme "persecutions" for the last year and a half. His words helped me to see once again that I can change my view of what is going on, no matter how jaw-dropping it is. I have the choice, and so do all of us, to embrace our karma, vow to change it, and remain as unshakable as Nichiren. 

In The Opening of The Eyes, Nichiren Daishonin writes:

"This I will state. Let the gods forsake me. Let all persecutions assail me. Still I will give my life for the sake of the law...

"Here I will make a great vow. Though I might be offered the rulership of Japan if I would only abandon the Lotus Sutra, accept the teachings of the Meditation Sutra, and look forward to rebirth in the Pure Land, though I might be told that my father and mother will have their heads cut off if I do not recite the Nembutsu - whatever obstacles I might encounter, so long as persons of wisdom do not prove my teachings to be false, I will never yield! 

All other troubles are no more to me than dust in the wind.

Although I and my disciples may encounter various difficulties, if we do not harbor doubt in our hearts, we will, as a matter of course attain Buddhahood. Do not have doubts simply because heaven does not lend you protection. Do not be discouraged because you do not enjoy an easy and secure existence in this life. This is what I have taught to my disciples morning and evening, and yet they begin to harbor doubts and abandon their faith. 
Foolish men are likely to forget the promises they have made when the crucial moment comes."

From The Opening of the Eyes by Nichiren Daishonin. 

I wish I could write more, but I have to run off this morning. In the meantime I am thinking of the vision of all my troubles being dust in the wind...and having the confidence that I am a worthy Bodhisattva of the Earth and my happiness is important. Just like yours! 

PowerPrayer for the Dynamic Year of the Development of YOU!

This morning I woke up still not feeling well and I called my wonderful leader for guidance on how to chant to overcome this illness. 
She said I need to focus on myself, and not just my karma, but also my own happiness. She reminded me how important my own happiness is. She said my sons are the reflection of me, and I need to focus on my happiness so that they can be happy. 
She reminded me that this is the year of dynamic development. She told me she had her own determination to make this the year of Dynamic Development for herself and I thought that made excellent sense. So I just finished chanting an hour of daimoku and feel a million times better. As I was chanting I was thinking these powerful thoughts for writing a PowerPrayer for you. Here it is:

PowerPrayer for the Dynamic Year of the Development of ___________________your name here! 

My life has Immeasurable Power!
I now tap into the immeasurable power of my own life! 
I now focus on changing my thoughts, words and deeds so that I can be HAPPY!
I embrace my karma as my mission!
I welcome this opportunity to create my own happiness. 
Fundamental darkness - you have no place here!
Fundamental darkness you have the wrong address!
I rid my life of all self-slander. 
I celebrate my life. 
I bask in appreciation 
for my own immeasurably powerful life~ ! 

Sensei on Chanting for our TRUE Desires

Sensei Says - Do You Have A Dream….

“Many of us have some problems that we avoid chanting

about, because we are afraid to look at them directly and

 prefer not to think about them. Others may have dreams 

locked up in their hearts that they are afraid to admit even 

to themselves let alone chant for, because they feel they do 

not deserve to be happy, or because they are afraid of 

being disappointed should they not succeed in attaining 

their goal.

Nichiren Daishonin teaches us that the power of the 

Gohonzon has no limit. It is we who impose limits on it 

with  our doubts and fears. 

How tragic it would be if, having 

encountered the Mystic Law, we could not fully enjoy it's 

benefit because we lacked the courage to pray with all our 

hearts for what we truly wanted.

Surely nothing would be more bitter than to have to look 

back over one's life and feel, 'I never accomplished what I 

really wanted to.'

Nichiren Daishonin, out of his compassion, teaches us how 

to live so that we will have no regrets. Since we have been 

fortunate enough to meet the Gohonzon, why don't we 

place our full trust in it, pray courageously for what we 

desire and fulfill all our dreams in this lifetime.”

Daisaku Ikeda

The Darker the Night the Nearer the Dawn

"When facing adversity, 
we may think we've reached our limit, 
but actually 
the more trying the circumstances, 
the closer we are to making a breakthrough. The darker the night 
the nearer the dawn. 
Victory in life is decided 
by that last concentrated burst of energy filled with the resolve to win."
Daisaku Ikeda

Happy New Year. I am ready to break through. How about you? Let's all bring out that concentrated burst of energy and resolve. I'm going to chant about this quote and write a power prayer based on it later today. Happy 2015!

PowerPrayer for a PowerFULL New Year 2015

PowerPrayer for a PowerFULL 2015

By Jamie Lee Silver of Chantforhappiness.com
(I developed PowerPrayers to read before chanting as a tool to maintain strong determination, focus and inspiration while chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. Feel free to adapt and change any PowerPrayer to make it yours! I start my PowerPrayers with the word LIFE! because when we chant we are addressing our own lives. If you wish to share this, please share the blog chantforhappiness.com. Thanks!)

Life! 

Last year is last year. 
I now let it go...

I release all of 2014 and my entire past.  
I choose to recognize that I am always doing my best, no matter what!

I release 2014 and welcome in the Dynamic New Year of Happiness, Security and Flow! 
I now forgive myself for any imperfections and chant for the wisdom to be WISER and take inspired action in 2015!

This year, 2015 - I am determined to continue growing my own love for my own self. 
I am determined to keep learning...keep exploring...
and create victory 
every single moment of every single day...
Not just to create victory -- also to FEEL and see VICTORY in each moment. (Even when it feels like defeat) 

I chant to recognize my own brilliance, 
my own passion, 
my own love. 
I chant to love and appreciate myself more than ever, and express appreciation to others even more than ever. 

No Matter what ~ I now focus on the POSITIVE and do NOT COMPLAIN! 

I vow to deepen my relationships. I will be more attentive to others. I will LISTEN even better than ever before. I am determined to deepen my compassion and ability to care for friends and family. 

I am determined to foster youth and adults in the SGI and give out Nam-myoho-renge-kyo cards every day. 
I am determined, and I WILL, help my shakubukus learn gongyo,  study and build lives of rock-solid absolute happiness! 

I am determined and I demand of my own life a deeper understanding of the law of cause and effect...a deeper understanding of this practice...a deeper understanding of the mentor/disciple relationship. I will study everyday!

I determine to feel with Sensei's heart, see through Sensei's eyes, learn with Sensei's mind. 

I determine to build rock-solid understanding of my financial affairs and be independent and informed. I'm determined to create a financial plan for my life that is concrete and attainable, and to develop the financial habits to make it happen. 

I'm determined to listen to my body every day, and to continue creating the healthiest body I have ever had. 

I'm determined to excel at my work, be trusted and develop even more capabilities. I am determined to be a contribution every day. 

Life! 
I feel, see, know and ACCESS the power in my own life. 
I have Daimoku. 
I have the Gohonzon. 
I now pull the lid off 
what I thought I was capable of achieving. 
I now blow my own mind 
with the power of the life force I tap into every day through chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. 
I am determined to respect my own life and see that respect echoed all around me in my environment. 

I chant for the DYNAMIC growth of the SGI. 
I chant for the happiness and peace of the planet!
I chant to transform my own life so that the world can be transformed! 

Welcome 2015!

New Year's Day at the Chicago SGI Center

Kathy and my guest Bella

With Kendall and LaShelle

What a great new year...
so many great causes to start the year.
First thing this morning I chanted my hour of Daimoku for the new year. I went out and visited Ben, and visited my friend Mary to chant with her for New Year's Day. Then I picked up Kathy and Bella, and had my new friend Padma also meet us at the Center. I bought Bella a bell...she is starting her practice!

This year is going to be solid.

Ben will find his way. We will find the best place for him and he will begin to live his life of value.
I am going to do a ton of shakubuku
because I LOVE to do shakubuku.
I love seeing people's lives change when they chant.
I love seeing people's dreams come true!

And I will, after all publish my book. It will be a compilation of all the best PowerPrayers and blog postings. It will be born easily and it will flow.

Speaking of flow -I will live in a state of feeling the flow of the universe and the rightness of my place in it. I'm going to stop trying so hard and just enjoy life more.

I'm determined to be a source of inspiration through my own life experiences. I just survived one of the most challenging years...no THE most challenging year. My son almost lost his life twice in the last two months. He is okay now and a new year has started. I feel the power of my own life through chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo.

Feel the power of your own life and demand your results!

New Year's Day 2015 

at the 

Chicago Culture Center with my 

         Gakkai Family!