Heading to Aspen

I'm about to get on a plane to Aspen Colorado. It's been a busy few days getting ready. I'm going with many new friends I haven't met yet to celebrate the life and the spirit of John Denver, and return to my spiritual roots. John was Buddhist at heart. 
"And oh, I love the life around me
I feel a part of everything I see.
And oh, I love the life within me
A part of everything is here in me." 
From Seasons on the Rocky Mountain High Album

I'll writ emore from 6,000 feet up!

11 Quotes for Overcoming Obstacles by Daisaku Ikeda

Al quotes from Ikedaquotes.org by Daisaku Ikeda:

Rather than becoming discouraged, know that encountering a wall is proof of the progress that you have made so far.

Anyone can hit a wall. The anguish felt then is proof of one’s desire to move forward. But all is for naught if you falter at that moment. Action—that is the key to breaking through an impasse.

There is a saying that the earth upon which we fall is the same ground which enables us to push ourselves up again. There’s another which maintains that barley grows better after it has been trampled on. It is up to us to decide to live a life free from self-doubt and despair in spite of our failures. Indeed, it is during our most humbling moments that we should show greatest poise and grace.

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.

We are not defeated by adversity but by the loss of the will to strive. However devastated you may feel, so long as you have the will to fight on, you can surely triumph.

Just as physical training can bring forth the unseen capacities of our bodies and intellectual training develops our minds, our hearts can be trained and strengthened. Through the process of overcoming grief, for example, it is possible for us to see beyond our own suffering to develop a more expansive and robust sense of self. This experience can inspire us to care for others who feel the same pain.

Just as the pure white lotus flower blooms unsoiled in muddy water, our lives, which are supremely noble, can continue to shine even amid life’s harshest realities.

Reality is harsh. It can be cruel and ugly. Yet no matter how much we grieve over our environment and circumstances nothing will change. What is important is not to be defeated, to forge ahead bravely. If we do this, a path will open before us.

Suffering only gets worse when we try to run from it rather than facing it.

A person’s true nature is revealed at times of the greatest adversity.

It’s important to have the courage to ask yourself what it is that you should be doing now, at this very moment.

All quotes are from Ikedaquotes.org 

And from Jamie: 
Let's not give up! No matter what! My life is filled with challenges, just like yours. But every time we bravely face our own lives...every time we open that Butsudan (box that houses our Gohonzons), every time we look at the Gohonzon and Chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo we are making a step forward. We are making a profound cause. We are facing our own troubles and finding our way around those walls! 
And when we do this twice a day our lives get "on a roll!" Join me in our 100-day challenge to chant every morning and every evening....Gongyo and Daimoku. 
Start now! Strengthen that muscle of faith! 

PowerPrayer For Moving From VICTIM to VICTOR

According to Daisaku Ikeda, we summon the exact set of obstacles we need to springboard our lives to the next level of practice and happiness. 
We will be better off for them!  
We summoned these storms. 
Realizing this takes our lives from Victim to Victory! This simple change in perspective brings incredible power to our Daimoku. When we are chanting we can address our lives and roar like the lions (Buddhas!) we are. What follows is a PowerPrayer I offer you to reclaim your life and move from Victim to Victor. As always, I offer you my writings from my heart, not as an official SGI representative, although I love the organization and encourage everyone to participate - if you are not yet a member please use this link to connect: sgi-usa.org 

PowerPrayer 

For Reclaiming My Own Life 

and Moving 

From Victim to VICTOR 

Read this before you chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo
and hold its spirit in your heart and mind - that's what a PowerPrayer - A Fresh Determination is...

by Jamie Lee Silver from Chantforhappiness.com. 

LIFE !! 
I get it! 
I SUMMONED THIS STORM and I can VANQUISH IT! 
I summoned this storm and I will WIN over it !
Shoten Zenjin (protective forces of the universe within all life) 
I now command you to fulfill these prayers!__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
I am a precious Votary of the Lotus Sutra 
and I vow to PROVE the POWER of the MYSTIC LAW 
through my own victories - 
so I can encourage everyone that 
the IMPOSSIBLE IS POSSIBLE!
I will NOW raise my life condition to a level I have never before experienced. 
I see through the eyes of the Buddha, 
I feel with the heart of the Buddha
I AM the Buddha! 
The universe exists within ME! 
I am CLAIMING power over my own life. 
No more complaining for me! 
No More "Woe is me!" 
NO! 
Starting today ~ with this Daimoku ~ 
I bring forth all the wisdom I need
                             to know what I need to do - 
All the courage I need ~ 
                             to take the right action 
All the perfect timing I need ~ 
                             to accomplish what I want
And the People and Resources I need ~ 
                             ALL appear right now! 
I am a powerful being waging a powerful war against the fundamental darkness inherent in all of life and I will WIN. 
Starting today 
I will win in:______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This PowerPrayer has been inspired by the Gosho Study from the August of 2013 Living Buddhism "The Three Obstacles and Four Devils" written in November 1277 to the youngest Ikegami brother, Munenega, after his brother had been disowned by his father for his faith in Nichiren Buddhism. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

President Ikeda's lecture from the August 2013 

Living Buddhism on this Gosho includes these words: 

"Though we speak of the "three obstacles and four devils" appearing, no one wishes to have to face adversity. 
That is surely a natural human reaction. 
But Nichiren says that 
the appearance of the three obstacles and four devils 
is a source of JOY. 
How could that be? 
It doesn't seem possible. 
But it is, in fact, 
by overcoming the steep hills and inclines of obstacles 
we can forge our lives 
and ascend the summit of Buddhahood, 
where we can savor the sublime vista of 
eternity, happiness, true self and purity."

He goes on to say:

"We need to "own" them (our obstacles) as something we ourselves have summoned up...we are in charge, we are the protagonists...the struggle against the three obstacles and four devils is indeed a great joy."

President Ikeda goes on to say:
"As Nichiren Daishonin writes: "When a tiger roars, gales blow; when a dragon intones, clouds gather" (The Workings of Brahma and Shakra," WND-1, 799) When we adopt this attitude ~ "I summoned this storm!" ~ our hearts will be filled with the bright sense of hope and purpose." (All quotes from the 2013 August Living Buddhism, pages 21, 22) 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Write me your victories at Chantforhappiness@gmail.com! 

5 Essential Points Every Shakubuku Wants to Know - And a PowerPrayer to Introduce Others

(You can now subscribe to this blog by putting your email in the box to the right.
Translate using the button at the top right as well) 

Our lives blossom when we introduce others to this practice. (Shakubuku) When we introduce others we are doing the work of the Buddha. There are many ways to do shakubuku...in this post I focus on planting seeds. Three people had to tell me about Nam-myoho-renge-kyo before I started chanting. I had three seeds. Then I embraced this practice fully when an extremely articulate and passion woman (Kate Randolph) and I spent a day together. We'd been total strangers. After a day with her I began a dedicated practice with the wonderful San Francisco members who raised me as a Buddhist. 

You never know when seeds will sprout. Some of my friends began chanting right after I started. My Mom jumped right in after a year saying "I want what you've got!" and chanted the rest of her life. Many times with me and my two boys. 

So I plant seeds.

We are the Buddha after all. 

As my friend Kate says: 

The Gohonzon cannot get down off the wall 
and tell people about chanting. 
Only we can do it. 
And THIS is one of the main reasons 
we are worthy votaries of the Lotus Sutra. 
When we help others learn to practice 
our lives expand and we change our karma. 

Shakubuku is easy, not hard. 

It all starts with Daimoku. And a sky-high life condition! When we are beaming and happy people want to know our secret. And we want to tell them.

I chant this PowerPrayer to meet the people who are seeking this practice.
I firmly believe that there are Bodhisattvas out who made the vow to return at this time to prove the power of this law, but they haven't found it yet. YOU can be the one who helps them live out their vow.

There are so many people who are seeking the solution to their problems. There are so many who are suffering with no solution. But look at us...we know we can transform any poison into medicine. We are changing our karma right here, right now. I do shakubuku out of compassion for those who are still searching.

Five Things I Tell People About Chanting:

1. You can chant for whatever you want. And if you don't get exactly what you want, you will get something better. You get to KEEP your Desires! And that includes chanting for people you love. You can help others through your chanting. In this practice desires are NOT the cause of your suffering. They are the fuel for your happiness. How refreshing!  (Life is long. Patience is important. Not giving up is KEY.) 

2. You don't have to convert. It's like meditation. Anyone can do it. After chanting for a while, you may want to fully embrace this practice. After seeing the actual proof you will probably want to. But you can test it first and watch your own results. It works. 

3. You don't have to believe it will work. Nam-myoho-renge-kyo is the law of cause and effect. We don't have to understand it. When we turn on the light do we UNDERSTAND why electricity works? Most likely not. But it works. Nam-myoho-renge-kyo is a law. The law of the universe. You can these words and you will see an effect in your life. It will work. 

4. Nam-myoho-renge-kyo means "I fuse my life with the mystic law of cause and effect through sound vibration." It is the name of the rhythm of life itself. If you intone the name of the rhythm of life itself while focusing on your desires you tap into the energy of the universe...your highest potential...to make your dreams come true. Internal change is where it starts. Chanting works because chanting creates an effect on the INSIDE of your life. And because we are connected to our environment our environment HAS to change. It HAS to. And it will. 

5. Chanting has No rules. No paths to memorize. No uncomfortable positions or clothing. All people regardless of race or sexual orientation are welcome. 

If people have time to talk I also discuss the SGI, President Ikeda and the benefits of being part of this incredible organization. 

As many of you know, I looked for this practice for the first half of my life. I knew it HAD to exist. I kept finding practices that said my desires were the cause of my suffering.... Somehow I KNEW that my desires weren't bad...that they were a part of me, a lovely, beautiful part of me. So I kept searching until I found this practice. I know others are out there...just like I was...searching. That's why I write this blog! And I have been so grateful for the last 30 years to be able to chant and sing the story ~ CREATE the story of my life.

So everywhere I go I bring cards. I made them myself, and you can usually buy them at the SGI Centers. I have the words Nam-myoho-renge-kyo and the phonetic pronunciation. They also say: Chant these words and become happier than you ever imagined, and the contact info for the Chicago Center are on them. If appropriate I invite them to a meeting.

I hand people a card, even if I've just met them for a moment at a store, or in line somewhere. 

After I thank them for helping me,  I say "I have something special for you. I just have to let you know about this- Have you ever heard of chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo? When you chant these words and think about what you want you become happier than you ever imagined."

Everyone says Thank You!
Almost NEVER does anyone respond negatively. 
And with each person I am planting a seed. It might not sprout now, but it might sprout when the NEXT person tells them, or when a family member starts chanting.  At any rate it a great cause for YOUR life too!

PowerPrayer for Shakubuku 

(to introduce others to this practice) 
By Jamie Lee Silver from Chantforhappiness.com

When you are experiencing benefits and your life is glowing like the sun, you will naturally want to share your secret with other people. 

Simply put, Shakubuku means sharing Nichiren Buddhism with others. From the Japanese, it means “to clear away illusions that prevent one from recognizing the ultimate truth or reality.” This truth is that we are all Buddhas. Every time you share Nichiren Buddhism with others you are doing the work of the Buddha, in helping others to attain happiness by realizing that they are Buddhas, too. Each time, you bring people one important step closer to knowing who they are and their absolute happiness. Please do not cut and paster this PowerPrayer. If you want to share please use the buttons at the bottom of this post. 

Life!

I chant for kosen-rufu Now! 
I deeply desire a world of respect for all of life. 
Let me meet the people who want to practice right now!

Give me the courage to tell them 
about Nam-myoho-renge-kyo

and the heart and wisdom to touch their lives.
Increase my level to really CARE about others, and to be articulate in sharing this practice. 

Give me the confidence and 
let my life SHINE with BENEFITS and ACTUAL PROOF 
so that people want to know my secret! 
Let my life SHINE! 

Do you have any shakubuku tips for the readers of this blog? Email me at chantforhappiness@gmail.com. Also send your experiences with a picture and a bio so you can share your inspiring practice on the blog! 

Chanting and Crying Yes or No?

I'm in Asheville, North Carolina visiting my Dad. This is my new friend Arlene from the New Morning Gallery in the Biltmore Village. I can happily peruse galleries all day long! 

I'm continuing my 2-hour a day Daimoku Campaign. The second day of the campaign, as I was chanting I started to cry. 

Sometimes doing Daimoku helps you tap into emotions under the surface.  

I think it's important to know that just getting choked up is not a reason to stop chanting - especially if you've committed to chanting a certain amount of time. Throughout that whole hour I chanted, cried, and got right back into my deep, deep prayer. It felt invigorating! I did not stop! I won in that hour! 

I have a phrase...I'm not quite sure of the origin, although my dear YWD attributes it to me: "Every tear cried in front of the Gohonzon is a diamond in your life."

Chanting and crying is fine. 
Grab some tissues and go for it! 
Just keep forging ahead like the Buddha You ARE. 
GO Buddha GO!!! 

Karma = Mission! Passage from the New Human Revolution by Daisaku Ikeda

I'm in Asheville, North Carolina in the Smoky Mountains visiting my Dad and stepmom Janis. I love the passage I'm sharing with you today...enjoy!

THE GREAT DRAMA OF HUMAN REVOLUTION - The New Human Revolution Vol 1 - “Pioneers” chapter - May 2015 issue Daibyakurenge. By Daisaku Ikeda

In the novel The New Human Revolution, Shin’ichi Yamamoto (Daisaku Ikeda) encourages a woman who is filled with despair;

Ikeda Sensei’s Guidance:

"Toward the end of the question-and-answer session, Shin’ichi noticed a woman in the back row who had been hesitantly raising her hand and putting it down again throughout the session. Somewhere in her mid-30s, her face was gaunt and tired-looking.

“You have a question, don’t you? Please go ahead,” he encouraged her.

She stood up listlessly and said: “Um, you see, my husband died from illness. I just don’t know how I’m going to survive from now on.”

The woman and her husband had emigrated from Japan to Brazil as contract laborers with their children and had been working the land. Deprived of her husband’s crucial involvement, however, she was unable to keep farming, as she still had several small children to look after.

Just as thoughts of suicide began to cross her mind, she learned about the Daishonin’s Buddhism from a Soka Gakkai member living nearby. She had started her practice only one week before the meeting, and in that short period had found a job at a factory in São Paulo, which also provided her lodging.

“But,” she continued, “when I think of living here in a foreign country I know nothing about, struggling to provide for my children, I can’t help feeling anxious. I think I must have awfully heavy karma. And I have no idea what may happen in the future. Just thinking about it is unbearable.”

Shin’ichi smiled at her and said: “Please don’t worry. As long as you continue exerting yourself in faith, you can definitely become happy. That’s what Buddhism is for. Also, your current suffering and misfortune exist so that you may fulfill your own unique and noble mission. Everything will turn to defeat if all you do is worry about your karma and let it make you miserable.”

The woman gazed at Shin’ichi with a puzzled look. The member who had introduced her to the practice had told her that the reason she had to suffer the loss of her husband was because of negative karma she had accumulated from offenses committed in past lifetimes.

It is true that Buddhism teaches that one who commits evil deeds against others will receive the negative effects of those actions and live an unhappy life. This is just one aspect, however. Were it the entire teaching on karma, then people would be doomed to live under a cloud of guilt and vague anxiety, not knowing what offenses they might have committed in past lives. It would also mean that people’s destiny was fixed—a concept that could easily rob them of their energy and passion.

The Buddhism of Nichiren Daishonin goes far beyond the framework of superficial causality. It elucidates the most fundamental cause and shows us the way to return to the pure life within that has existed since time without beginning. The way we achieve this is by awakening to our mission as Bodhisattvas of the Earth and dedicating ourselves to the widespread propagation of the Law.

Shin’ichi said: “Buddhism teaches the principle of ‘voluntarily assuming the appropriate karma.’ This means that although through Buddhist practice we had accumulated the benefit to be born in favorable circumstances, we purposely chose to be born in the midst of those who are suffering and there propagate the Mystic Law.

“For example, if someone who had always lived like a queen and enjoyed every luxury were to say, ‘I became happy as a result of my Buddhist practice,’ no one would bat an eye. But if a person who is sick, whose family is poor, and who is shunned by people because of these things becomes happy through her Buddhist practice and goes on to become a leader in society, this will be splendid proof of the greatness of Nichiren Buddhism. Don’t you agree that this would make others want to start practicing, too?

“By triumphing over great poverty, a person who has been poor can give hope to others who are struggling with financial hardship. By regaining vitality and good health, someone who has been battling illness can light a flame of courage in the hearts of those in similar straits. By creating a happy and harmonious family, a person who has suffered great anguish over discord in the home can become a model for others plagued by family problems.

“Similarly, if you—a woman who has been left widowed in a foreign land where she does not speak the language—become happy and raise your children to be fine adults, you’ll be a shining example for all women who have lost their partners. Even those who don’t practice faith will admire you and come to seek your advice.

“So you see, the deeper and greater the suffering, the more magnificently one can show proof of the powerful benefit of Buddhism. You could say that karma is another name for mission.

“I myself am the son of a poor seaweed farmer. I worked by Mr. Toda’s side throughout the bitter trials of his company’s bankruptcy, even though I was frail in health and afflicted with tuberculosis. Because I have experienced hardship and suffering just like everyone else, it’s possible for me to take leadership for kosen-rufu in this way as a representative of the common people.”

Shin’ichi continued with even greater emphasis: “Each of you may think that you have just happened to come to Brazil because of various personal circumstances. But this is not the case. You have been born as a Bodhisattva of the Earth in order to achieve kosen-rufu in Brazil, to lead the people of this country to happiness and to create an eternal realm of peace and harmony in this land. Indeed, you have been called here by Nichiren Daishonin. When you realize your great mission as a Bodhisattva of the Earth and dedicate yourself to kosen-rufu, the sun that has existed within you since time without beginning will start to shine forth. All offenses you have committed in past lifetimes will vanish like dew, and you will open the way to a wonderful life filled with deep joy and happiness.”

Addressing the woman who had lost her husband, Shin’ichi went on: “Viewed from the profound perspective of Buddhism, your suffering is like that portrayed by a brilliant, highly successful stage actress cast in the role of a tragic heroine. When the play is finished, the actress goes home to a life of ease and comfort. Your life is the same. Moreover, the play you are performing on the stage of life’s theater is one that will have a happy ending. There is no need to worry. You will definitely become happy. I say this with absolute certainty. Just as a great actress relishes performing her tragic role, please enact a magnificent drama of human revolution in which you rise triumphantly from the depths of your sorrow.

“All people are pioneers traveling the frontiers of life. Therefore, it is up to you alone to cultivate and develop your own life. You must wield the hoe of faith, sow the seeds of happiness and persevere tenaciously. The sweat of your efforts for kosen-rufu will become precious gems of good fortune, forever dignifying your life. Please become the happiest person in Brazil!”

7 Steps to Changing Our Karma

(Welcome to Chantforhappiness.com. 
Check out some of the previous posts while you're here! 
You ca now subscribe to this blog by putting your email in the box to the right)

The other day I found an article on the internet that said according to Buddhism "Life is Suffering." Well...Not this Buddhism! The goal of this Buddhism, and of life itself is Happiness. And it is never to late to claim and create our own happiness. It starts with US!  

Many of us practitioners of Nichiren Daishonin's Buddhism have changed various aspects of our karma. It starts with each one of us...how courageous can we be to change ourselves? 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
As Daisaku Ikeda writes:
The course of our lives is determined by how we react  - what we decide and what we do - at the darkest of times. The nature of that response determines a person's true worth and greatness. 
Ikedaquotes.org
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~I was in an extreme place of sadness when I started this blog, and there is one important thing I realized that I really want you to understand too. 
It is true, that my suffering was triggered by an event in my life. This can't be denied. But somewhere in the depths of my life I knew that the tears I was shedding were WITHIN my life, and had always been within my life. These were not new feelings of despair. Yes, they were intensified by my recent event, but I realized that I had carried these feelings INTO this life, and that my Mom, my sweet Mommy, had also experienced a lot of these feelings. 

I realized that this sadness was my karma and because I am a NICHIREN Buddhist - I can change it!
Karma in some sects means something you have to ENDURE, in others, it's something you have to LEARN FROM. and In Nichiren Buddhism, also known as SGI Buddhism, also known as Practical Buddhism ~  where we chant the name of the Mystic Law - Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, Karma is something that we can change, in fact, it is our MISSION to change our karma. 

7 Steps to Changing Our Karma

by Jamie Lee Silver of Chantforhappiness.com. 
Please do not cut and paste. Please do share the post using the links at the bottom.  

1. Recognize karma for what it is. 
Whatever we are suffering about...we have to own it. To "own it" means to embrace it as our own and realize that yes, this is my karma, and therefore mine to change. There is no one to blame, not even ourselves. If it is causing us suffering, it is ours. Years ago I had a boss that caused me great suffering. I took it on and embraced it. I followed the steps outlined below and permanently changed that karma by changing something in myself. Read on...

2. Make a fierce determination to change your karma, and take the actions to change it. 
Chant to root the cause of your suffering FOREVER OUT OF YOUR LIFE. 
CHANT TO EXPERIENCE LIFE AS THE BUDDHA YOU ARE! CHANT TO USE YOUR VICTORY TO INSPIRE OTHERS! 
Many of you have written that you just can't chant, you can't go to meetings, you're too depressed and too busy. Somehow, you just have to overcome this through sheer determination. That's why we have our wonderful organization, the Soka Gakkai. It is entirely up to you! Your friends in faith are waiting to hear from you, chant with you, win with you. Connect to the SGI (use the link sgi-usa.org). And call your SGI friends. I have always chanted to make strong friends in faith who inspire me. You can do this too, and go to them for guidance. (Sometimes, when I am facing an obstacle, I ask for guidance on the most effective way to chant to achieve victory)

3. Take action. 
In my case, five years ago, I formed a connection with a strong and inspiring member and we determined to chant two hours a day "together" to change our karma. Sometimes we chanted in the same room, sometimes by phone or text. We didn't always chant at the exact same time, but somehow, knowing we had the shared commitment was very important. Also, take concrete action. You may want to write your goals on paper. Chant for wisdom, and take the actions that arise from your prayers. 

4. Be consistent. Practice correctly. 
I know, I know, I say this all the time because it is really important. Go to meetings, study the writings of Nichiren Daishonin and Daisaku Ikeda, and introduce others to the practice to the best of your ability. No seed planted is ever wasted. If they don't start practicing today they may down the line. The seed is within their life. 

5. Realize that obstacles will arise. 
Don't let them stop you. 
Chant through your tears. Chant through your tears. A leader once told me that Every tear cried in front of the Gohonzon is a diamond in your life. Keep Chanting through your tears. Don't stop! Embrace it. Get out the tissues and get that karma out of your life, not just for you, but for the generations ahead of you! 

6. Don't give up. 
Whatever you do, don't give up. 
Do whatever you have to do to keep going. Karma changing doesn't usually happen overnight. Call on your friends. Start a journal. Realize that what you are doing is REALLY important.

7. WIN and share your Victory with others! 
Document your experience. Write down the challenges you faced and how you overcame them through chanting. Write down the quotes and guidance that inspired you. 

We would all love to hear your victories. You can share them on Chantforhappiness.com. Just send a picture, a little about yourself - where you live, how long you've been practicing, and your experience to chantforhappiness@gmail.com.