Everything is the Answer to Our Prayers

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"While controlling your mind, 
which is at once both extremely subtle 
and solemnly profound, 
you should strive 
to elevate your faith with freshness and vigor. 
When you do so, 
both your life and your surroundings 
will open wide before you 
and every action you take 
will become a source of benefit. 
Understanding the subtle workings of one's mind 
is the key to faith and attaining Buddhahood in this lifetime." 

Daisaku Ikeda, For Today and Tomorrow, page 95. 

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Well, if you read yesterday's blog you know I chanted like the house was on fire on Sunday. I chanted deep, heartfelt Daimoku that THIS MOMENT I was changing my karma through THIS Daimoku. Two hours. Powerful stuff. 

When we chant powerful Daimoku, or do a toso (extended chanting session) sometimes what we get immediately following isn't exactly what we expect. We might expect the skies to open and our benefit to fall straight into our arms. But it isn't always like that. 

The key for me is to recognize WHATEVER HAPPENS as a benefit. 

On Sunday night after this powerful Daimoku, I did not feel well. During the night, I had a dream where I saw Ben as a young child and was crying out "my baby, my baby!" I woke up not feeling well and weeping. (If you are new to this blog you can go back to the July 4, 2015 post and read it, and the days that follow) 

Instead of thinking "Oh no...this Daimoku clearly did not work," I thought,"Even THIS could be the answer to my prayers. I haven't cried in a while...maybe it's time to process some grief."

I took the day to cry. We may be Buddhas, but we are still human beings, and we still feel pain, just like Nichiren Daishonin did. And my philosophy is to feel what I feel. (Unless of course I am in the middle of a presentation or it is not an appropriate moment...we have to use common sense.)

I believe that if I run from my sadness, closing it up tight every time I feel it, I will not be able to ever let it out, and heal. I feel (but cannot prove) that closing off these emotions might lead to disease.  And it was my great benefit that I did not have anything pressing I had to do. I decided to let my sadness flow...and such sweet sadness it was. 

I took out all of the letters I got this summer, many of them from YOU, all over the world, and I read them, and felt all the love, compassion and feeling from each of the words in the cards...and I cried until there were no more tears left for that day. Then I stopped, refreshed, wrote in my journal, and made some calls. 

Today, my heart is light, and I am ready for this exciting week where I have four presentations in three days. I'm presenting "Growing older, Bolder, BETTER!" at the Downers Grove, Illinois Library on Thursday night at 7:00. Call and reserve a space if you're close and want to attend. 

Tomorrow is November 18th, Ben's 100th day. Please join me in Daimoku for his brilliant, sparkling life. I see him being reborn soon, without the troubles of this life...with a Gohonzon in his home...and having a blast as a youth in 2030...full of hope, inspiration, perseverance and mirth! 

Yesterday I got an email from someone in Canada who found out about chanting from this blog and joined the SGI this week! Isn't that wonderful! It fills my heart with joy!

My address is 17w702 Butterfield #104, Oakbrook Terrace, IL 60181 and my email is chantforhappiness@gmail.com  

Karma Changing Chanting! Right Here Right Now!

RESOLVE

"The benefit of all the other sutras is uncertain, 
because they teach that one must first make good causes and only then 
can one become a Buddha at some later time. 
With regard to the Lotus Sutra, 
when one's hand takes it up, 
that hand immediately attains Buddhahood,  
and when one's mouth chants it, 
that mouth is itself the Buddha, 
as for example, 
the moon is reflected in the water 
the moment it appears from behind the eastern mountains, or as a sound and its echo arise simultaneously."

From the Writings of Nichiren Daishonin - WND, p.1099
Wu-lung and I-lung. Written to the lay nun Ueno on November 15th.

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How can we, as Buddhists really make a difference in the world? We have seen the horrible news. There are so many who are suffering all over the world.

We are in the age of Mapo...a time of great challenges and darkness, and we chose to be born now so we can make a difference. We, as microcosms of the universe, can make the changes we need to make by changing ourselves first, by doing shakubuku to enable others to do this as well, and by taking the correct actions to stand up in faith and in the world. 

And, for me, it starts in the conviction 
of the power of the Daimoku 
I am chanting this very moment. 

RIGHT NOW, WITH THIS DAIMOKU, 
I am changing my life, 
and all of life. 

I have become aware of some karmic patterns I am determined to change. 
I have lived these karmic patterns my whole life. 

Today I had a deep resolve and change of heart that RIGHT NOW, WITH THIS DAIMOKU, I am changing these patterns forever. Just like the quote above so mystically says 

"the moon is reflected in the water 
the moment it appears from behind the eastern mountains, or as a sound and its echo arise simultaneously."

As I chanted I summoned up the deep conviction, expressed as the thoughts in my head, that each and every daimoku was changing my karma RIGHT NOW, not at some time in the future.  

"THIS DAIMOKU IS changing this specific karma right this very second."

I wrote down the nature of the karma I was changing. 

I dug deep into the feelings within my gut - these inner rumblings of fear, and doubt and pure emotion -  to change these feelings forever...to be rid of the doubt that my prayer would not work. I did not chant "wishful Daimoku" 
I chanted "Right here right now I am changing my karma FOREVER" Daimoku. 

After the two hours, as I was doing the silent prayers, I prayed to deeply realize that this very morning the Daimoku I chanted is a DONE DEAL. I prayed to have the conviction that I JUST CHANGED my karma, and I will not be swayed by any doubt. 
I believe in my Buddhahood and the Buddhahood of others. I believe in the power of the Nam-myoho-renge-kyo I just chanted. 
I have faith in the power of my prayer 
and the power of my life 
and my Buddhahood. 
I can, and DID, and will continue to change my karma, change the karma of our troubled world, and create a world fo respect for all beings (kosen-rufu) through my own life. 

High Life Condition = Happy Life!

Today's Gosho Quote by Nichiren Daishonin: 

"Kaito said..."I felt it a terrible pity someone such as he, outstanding in every respect, should die so young. Reconsidering the matter, however, I realized that is was because od this boy's death that his mother became a seeker of the way and his father began to practice, praying for his repose. How marvelous, I thought. Moreover, the fact that they have put their trust in the Lotus Sutra, which all people detest, must mean that their deceased son has been at their side and encouraged them to do so." I also believe this to be the case."
WND 1050
The Sons Pure Storehouse and Pure Eye
Recipient unknown, written on July 7, 1280

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Wow! What do you think of that...it felt like that Gosho quote was just meant for me today. I have always been a seeker of the way, but I'm sure that I owe my determination to chant two hours a day to Ben...and my chanting has a profound effect on so many...my fellow members, my friends, my colleagues and the seniors I serve in my job...

When our own life condition is high everyone we meet feels the effect of that positive energy. EVERYONE. 

Every morning three members are showing up to chant some or all of the two hours with me. I feel this daimoku in my life. There is not one complaint in my heart. And when I feel sad, I just allow myself to feel sad, and it passes. I am enjoying life and moving forward. 

Just this week I had a huge benefit. I decided to enroll in a course of training with other professional speakers as mentors. And my company is paying for it. How awesome is that? I've taken a few of the modules already and I know it's just what I need to continue living my dream of being a published author and sought after public speaker...

Now is the time! let's all make our dreams come true! 

Chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo is the source of all the great energy, drive, smarts, good timing....everything. We've got this! 

Who Says We Can Chant for ANYTHING? Sensei!

"In our lives, 
as we chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo 
and dedicate our lives to the mystic law, 
we transform delusion into enlightenment, 
and transform the chains of the suffering 
of birth, aging, sickness and death 
into a state of complete freedom 
imbued with the four noble virtues of 
eternity, 
happiness, 
true self and 
purity. 
There is surely no system of practice more dynamic, 
no philosophy that offers such unsurpassed hope."

Daisaku Ikeda

From the April Living Buddhism, 2015, page 31

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I get emails from people asking me if they can chant for a man (or a goal) that people have told them not to chant for. 

As far as Daisaku Ikeda is concerned, when we chant for what we want, and work for the Mystic law (attend meetings, do shakubuku, study the Gosho) our prayers transform, and our desires and LIVES transform. Chant for what you want! 

I have chanted for things that some people would say I "shouldn't have been chanting for," and it strengthened my practice. I REALLY wanted these things. Over time, my desires transformed, but they were the entry way for chanting. I chanted harder, more focused. I know I strengthened my life and my practice. 

Chanting for what we want IS enlightenment!  

How-To Increase Your Belief in YOUR OWN Buddha Nature!

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From the November 2015 Living Buddhism:

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"Nevertheless, 
being no more than an ordinary person, 
I have at times been apt to regret 
having taken such a course." 

From the Gosho "On Rebuking Slanders of the Law and Eradicating Sins" by Nichiren Daishonin.

About this passage, Daisaku Ikeda writes on page 37:

'As Nichiren Daishonin writes here, we are ordinary people, and as such, are likely on occasion to have regrets. 

At times, we may allow ourselves to be defeated by our immediate sufferings and complain about our lot, thinking there is no point in practicing this Buddhism if it is going to involve so many challenges and wondering if we might not have had an easier time if we had not started chanting. 

Well aware of this human trait, Nichiren teaches the means by which ordinary people can walk the path to attaining the noble state of Buddhshood. Genuine Buddhism teaches fundamental trust in and respect for the Buddha Nature inherent within all human beings." 

Daisaku Ikeda, from Living Buddhism, November 2015, pages 36 and 37. 

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Okay, I know we "know" our lives contain dignity and power and the Buddha Nature. I know we read President Ikeda's Guidance, and the Gosho, and we "understand" them with our minds...but do we understand them with our hearts? 

This is the work we do in front of the Gohonzon. When we chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo (meaning: I fuse my life with the mystic law of cause and effect through sound vibration) we tap into the power that is our birthright...that is always there for us...and we access that power for ourselves and for others. 

We can access the power to understand the profundity of our lives, the magnificence of our lives, and our true Buddha nature. 

How much do we each realize that we are the Buddha?

I hear people around me putting themselves down all the time. It seems to be part of our culture that we can't go around saying "I am magnificent. I am the Buddha." and I think we can and should change that part of the culture. Putting ourselves down is not helpful...especially when we are talking to ourselves. 

If we can't build ourselves up, who can? That's why I always say "Do not put yourself down. Ever. Not even in your head. you are a magnificent being...a Buddha of the highest respect. A Soka Gakkai Buddhist." 

President Ikeda has told us over and over that we will be remembered forever as the Soka Gakkai Buddhists. Each one of us is living out a drama of the highest significance. Each one of us is showing actual proof of the power of the mystic law to change our lives, change the lives of others and bring about a peaceful world through the power of our vow, and our chanting. 

And it REALLY HELPS if we REALLY believe this. It helps if we believe in the power of our lives and the power of our prayer. How can we really get to this point, that we believe it WITH OUR LIVES...and with every cell in our beings? Well, the answer is easy. 

We can chant to believe in our own magnificence. We can chant to believe in the power of our prayer. We can chant to dispel doubt forever and deepen our prayer at every moment. 

I have been chanting to uphold and see the dignity of my own life at each moment. I have been chanting to be present in each moment, and to BE WITH each person in front of me each moment. And you know what? When we are alone, WE are that person. WE are the one we need to support and uphold. We are the one we have to honor. 

How can we do this? We can start by talking to ourselves just like we would talk to our own very best friends. We can stop saying we are "idiots" or any other negative word. We can stop slandering our own lives 

We can tell ourselves we're doing great! We can tell ourselves we are beautiful, and we get more beautiful every day...inside and out. We can tell ourselves we make a difference. We can build up our own selves, while we are chanting and while we are going about our daily business. 

And we can make daily causes that prove our magnificence...chanting for wisdom...acting in wisdom and bringing forth our best selves! 

Greet the Gohonzon (Your LIFE) With Enthusiasm!

I'll tell you, I am in love with chanting two hours a day. I just feel so positive and in rhythm. I have three people coming to chant every morning, and some available in the evenings. Right now I aim for two hours in the morning, plus a half hour on the treadmill. I feel fantastic. When I feel healthy and am working out and looking great everything changes. 

All I had to do to do this is to suffer enough to make the determination that I wasn't going to suffer anymore. That's it! Then follow through with my promises to myself. 

Yesterday I went to a beautiful concert of Brahms Requiem by getting free tickets for pledging money to my local classical music station. I went with one of my SGI friends...and discovered that the Requiem is all about comforting the grieving. It was sung in English, as Brahms intended it to be sung ~ in the correct language for each country. 

Beautiful. 

Today I'm heading off for an art fair and a folk music festival and I'm excited about both on this beautiful fall day! 

Recently, I moved my Butsudan lower so I can get closer to the Gohonzon when I chant. And I am following the guidance to fall in love with the Gohonzon. Every time I chant, I'm chanting like I'm meeting a long lost lover...which is, of course, my own life! If we can't love ourselves, then who can we love...?

I'm looking at each of the characters and appreciating and loving each one...and loving the Gohonzon as a whole. 

As my friend in Mark Lutnes suggests, greet the Gohonzon as enthusiastically as you would a friend. If you see your friend and just drone a lackluster hello, your friend will feel greeted, but not enthusiastically. If you say HELLO FRIEND and greet them with a smile and a hug and are sincerely excited to see them, they will respond in kind. It's like that when we greet the Gohonzon, our lives! What do we want to generate? Supreme happiness and appreciation! Yes! 

5 Sure Fire Ways to Super-Charge Your Life, Strengthen Your Life and GET RESULTS!

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Like the ocean that remains calm in its depths even when waves rage over its surface, and like the sun that continues shining on high even during storms, we can at each moment create value and develop our state of life, enjoying our existence to the fullest in times of both suffering and joy.

Daisaku Ikeda, Ikedaquotes.org Self-Mastery

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As you know, if you've been reading this blog, I use my own life to encourage people. I am determined to show through my actions, through my results, through my heart and my passion that this practice works. 

And, I've been chanting 2 hours a day since September 20th. There are days I haven't gotten to 2 hours, but that is my goal every day, and I make it more often than not.

I am following the SGI formula for success:
1. Chant abundant Daimoku
2. Practice for yourself and others 
3. Study the writings of Daisaku Ikeda and Nichiren Daishonin
4. Go for Guidance with your senior leaders
and, I would add -  
5: Have a great suffering to alleviate, or a great desire...in other words BE MOTIVATED! 

My perspective on what just happened in my life...the death of my son...is changing through my Daimoku. I am generating real, true appreciation for having had this wonderful, inspiring light in my life for 22 years. And when I feel this sincerely, it replaces the deep, dark sadness, at least for awhile. I am finding that the sadness comes in waves. I can be my bright and shiny self...and then suddenly swept away by sadness. I think this is normal. Even Buddhists grieve. I chant through my tears when this happens. 

As I chant to realize the greater meaning of all of this, I am seeing that my son expiated karma for himself, and helped me to expiate my karma too. All of this will keep unfolding. 

I met a senior leader after Kosen-Rufu Gongyo on Sunday. I told her I still have some regrets of things I wish I had done differently while Ben was still alive. She told me to chant to rid my life of any doubt that I did the right thing. And that when I rid my life of this doubt it would be a profound strengthening of my faith. And I've been following that guidance. 

I didn't realize that regrets about my actions from back then were actually manifestations of DOUBT. She really gave me something to think about and chant about. This is why guidance from senior leaders is so important. It's important to go to your own senior leaders. And the higher your life condition is - the more you will understand what the senior leader says. How do you raise your life condition? Chant! 

Danny Nagashima told me Ben will be reborn shortly, and he'll be 14 in the year 2030. What a wonderful thought. What a wonderful thought. It makes me think of the power of Daimoku....all that daimoku I chanted for him will be affecting him in his next life, right? It went into his life, not just this lifetime. Pretty cool. 

As I chant, I am deepening my faith and my perspective. And my life is rocking! My work-life is a blast! I'm doing more and more speeches, and enjoying each day. And I'm refocused on my health and fitness. I am determined to look and feel better than I EVER have. I'm already showing great progress! What a great way to heal!