Three Keys to Building Good Fortune and being the Buddha of Absolute Happiness

Hello, my friends. 

What does it mean to build a life of good fortune? 

Here I am living my dream in Florida. I'm enjoying my friends, the sunshine, my health and my profession that enables me to teach people a method of releasing their emotions so they can be happy. I am the Buddha of Absolute Happiness and you can be too! 

Sometimes I get the question "Is it ok to chant for money?" And the answer I have always heard as a 35 year practitioner of Nichiren Daishonin's Buddhism in the SGI is chant for exactly what you want. 
If you need money chant for money~! 

Note to my friends: if you are stuck in some area of your life, please get encouragement from your Soka Gakkai seniors in faith. They are there to help you. They will chant with you and bear your burdens with you. The SGI is truly a noble organization I am proud to be part of. 


If you need a job, chant for the BEST job for Kosen Rufu, where you can be the happiest, and make your life shine as a beacon for other's happiness.

You deserve to have what you need. There are many, many examples of people chanting for money and getting it.  

AND underlying the need for money, there is a deeper and more exciting benefit that we can access within our lives. We can access and build TRUE FORTUNE in our lives.  

What is FORTUNE? How do we build it for ourselves?

No matter what our levels of fortune may be before we begin practicing Buddhism, once we begin chanting the name of the Law of Cause and Effect, the Mystic Law itself, Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, our lives begin to move in the direction of fortune. 

With each day of chanting, studying, encouraging others and introducing people to this practice our fortune grows and grows.

Fortune :

Daisaku Ikeda states: 
"Governments come and go, 
economies rise and fall, 
and society changes constantly. 
Only the good fortune 
we accumulate during our lives 
lasts forever. 
True victors are those 
who cultivate the tree of Buddhahood 
in the vast earth of their lives 
while achieving success 
both in society and in their personal lives 
through true faith and a true way of living. 
(Faith in Action page 110)

18 Types of Fortune 
By Jamie Lee Silver from Chantforhappiness.com 

Fortune is being in rhythm so that we KNOW what to do, and have the spirit, conviction and courage to make the best possible causes at all times. 

Fortune is being in the right place at the right time. 

Fortune is happiness and the ability to overcome any suffering and turn poison into medicine through chanting strong daimoku and taking the wise action that arises through our prayer. 

Fortune is strength and resiliency. 

Fortune is getting a call from an associate about a job opportunity that is perfect for you. 

Fortune is having the courage and wisdom to say what must be said and do what must be done at the crucial moment. 

Fortune is always having what you need when you need it. 

Fortune is having the time to chant to our heart's content and encourage others, too. 

Fortune is doing our human revolution and joining harmoniously with our fellow SGI members creating a new family for us all. 

Fortune is being born at the same time as Daisaku Ikeda and engraving the mentor disciple relationship into our lives so that it is a living, powerful source of energy and wisdom in our lives.  

Fortune is finding solace and peace even when we have lost a loved one. 

Fortune is experiencing the true depth of friendship... knowing how to be a friend, attracting, keeping and appreciating quality people in our lives.  

Fortune is experiencing how to love and be loved in return. 

Fortune is friendship.

Fortune is health. 

Fortune is the ability to laugh.  

Fortune is the ability to sit in front of our Gohonzons and carry out a meaningful dialogue within our own lives that makes the impossible possible,and brings happiness to ourselves and our families, friends and world.

Fortune is being accident free.

There is much more to fortune.
You can add to this list...send me your ideas of fortune at chantforhappiness@gmail.com 

How do we build fortune for ourselves?

1. First we must build a strong practice.  
The more "work" we put into building our practice...the less "work" we have to put into our lives...the less struggling we have to do. We can use all the resources at our disposal to CREATE the discipline to be able to chant twice a day every day and participate in activities. Focusing our prayer on others is a powerful way to build a strong practice. Yes, it's great to chant for ourselves, and we need to do that, but chanting for others has a profound effect on their lives, and ours. Chanting, and uniting with others is the foundation of our faith. 

Being a part of the SGI is crucial. Go to SGI-USA.org to learn more.  

Having a seeking mind to understand how and why the Mystic law has such a profound effect on our lives is important. Studying our SGI publications is important. Reading the Gosho of Nichiren Daishonin is important! We call this having a seeking spirit. You can  find what is holding you back in your own nature. We all have a fatal flaw...something we can't see. We gain the most when we chant to see our OWN flaws...and chant to change them!

Fortune Comes from Having the spirit and the prayer: 

"I will WIN because my life is important. I will use my life as a shining example that this practice works!! My winning will be a real "win/win" because I will inspire others to the greatness of their own lives! And I will help them bring out the Buddhahood in their own lives by introducing them to chanting! I will win for kosen-rufu. I will win over my own negativity. I will absolutely do this!" 

2. Determine and believe we DESERVE what we want fuels our fortune. Every action we take all day long is a cause for our happiness. What do we want? Why do we want it? What can we do to fuel that desire? 
Remember the Buddhist concept Hon Nim Myo - "from this moment forth". Every time we chant we begin life anew. From this moment forth I will win. From this moment forth is EVERY MOMENT. We have the power to change. NOW. We chant the MYSTIC LAW underlying all of life. Wow. We are filled with fortune!

3. Chant for what we want, and Chant for STRENGTH of practice and strength of mind and heart! If we want money, we chant for money. If we want to NEVER WORRY ABOUT MONEY AGAIN - we chant with this in mind. If we want a job we chant for it. The world is OURS. We chant for exactly what we want!

What does fortune mean for you? Write to me at chantforhappiness@gmail.com with your experiences and comments! 

How to get Back on Track in Daimoku and Really Connect to Our Prayer

I spoke with a member today who had a great question. 

She asked: "Jamie, do you feel like it's gotten harder to concentrate these days while chanting? I used to be able to really focus and now, with all the news and everything that's going on, it feels harder and harder to chant."

And I said, Yes, I know just what you're talking about! But there's hope. Here's what I do when I'm feeling scattered in front of the Gohonzon. First of all, I take my phone and put it in the other room. I don't use it to time my chanting. I use a clock. I get that phone out of my space. 

And, start in small increments. Say to yourself "I'm going to chant 5 minutes of absolutely uninterrupted daimoku. I'm not going to get up for water, I'm not going to use the bathroom, or check Facebook. No. For this 5 minutes, I will be glued to the Gohonzon! And when I do that 5 minutes I go for another, and another, and then I can reach my goals. Start small. And go for it! 

I told her about the umpteen BILLIONS OF BUDDHAS who are joining us when we chant. The first prayer I have in the morning is to greet those Buddhas with my life, Buddha to Buddha. It feels so good. 

And refresh your goals. It always helps. 

Let's get our MOJO back. For ourselves. For the Youth. For the world! Peace! 

What Does Nam-myoho-renge-kyo Mean?

So glad you asked!

Nam Myoho Renge Kyo means:

"I fuse my life with the mystic law of cause and effect through sound vibration".

I like to think of it as "I am one with the flow of life" because that's what it does...it puts us in rhythm with our own lives and everything around us. 
We are all Buddhas. 
We possess the power of the entire universe in our lives. Chanting this phrase brings it out. 

Aligning our energies with our mentor Daisaku Ikeda, and chanting these words every morning and evening, 
studying the writings of Nichiren Daishonin and Daisaku Ikeda and introducing others to this practice 
are the keys to living vibrant, happy and victorious lives! 

It's a law. It works whether you believe in it or not.

People all over the world chant this phrase with the Sokka Gakkai International. The Website link is sgi-usa.org. I encourage you to go there. Call the center nearest you and get the name of someone who practices near you. Go to a meeting and make new friends. You'll be starting on a whole new journey of happiness. 

It doesn't cost anything...you don't have to "do" anything to chant. Just try!

It's truly a practice for anyone...no rules...no dues...no eating restrictions...just chant!
And practice. Chant every morning and evening...then you'll be writing me to tell me your results!  

Remember...dream big...go for the impossible!

In a few days this blog will be ten years old. That's right. There are well over 2,000 posts here, and 2,500,000 people have viewed it. Thank you for chanting and introducing others. Thank you for sharing, and above all else, I greet you my Buddha friends, in this Buddha Land! 

Powerful Guidance from Kate Randolph

The one and only Kate Randolph

Hello friends, 

Recently I spoke at Kate Randolph's Life Celebration in LA. My charge from her daughter Sarah was to encapsulate Kate's guidance. What an honor. Truly. Kate and I spoke almost every other week for 34 years. I took notes. 

Here's how Kate introduced me to this glorious 

practice: 

It was August of 1985 when we met. 

Kate told me a story that changed my life. In Kate's work for the Great Peace March Across America, she needed to work with the megastar Paul Newman. The first day she was so flustered in his presence she couldn’t even form sentences. That night she chanted for one hour, and came back the next day and could talk to him like he was anyone else on the planet. 

I knew right I’d finally found what I’d been searching for my whole life. A tool that I could use to channel my energy in the direction I wanted it to go. A practical tool for happiness! And she told me I did not have to release my attachment to my desires. I could keep them, and chant for my desires! And my prayers would make the world a better place, and me happy, too.

DONE. I was hooked.

Kate and I became fast friends. We had our babies around the same time, First my son Aaron, then Kate and Hal's daughter Sarah, then my Ben. We vacationed together and raised our children together.

I would call her to get guidance about my challenges and she'd congratulate me for having these problems. She'd assure me that THESE problems were exactly what I needed to get me to the next level of my happiness. They were a benefit. 

Kate put my life in perspective by reminding me that I am a powerful Buddha, by winning in my life others could be inspired by my example and win in theirs. She taught me to turn poison into medicine. 

Basing her life on the Gosho by Nichiren Daishonin and the

words of Daisaku Ikeda she taught me victory:

She taught me to live a life of Victory. The key to Victory 

is making a strong determination to win over our 

problems 

Once we make a determination we may have doubts arise, 

but doubts are not real:

SHe said: 

You have to expect doubts to arrive in your mind. Now is the time to realize they are not real...they are only thoughts in your mind. They are not reality. They are just thoughts and you just pop them out with your prayer  ~ with your eye on the outcome…do battle in your mind and say No No No that is not my reality, that is not reality, that will not be my reality. 

These obstacles and doubts are NOT my reality, these negative thoughts are NOT my reality. Envision your outcome and say YES YES YES YES with each Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. And tell the Shoten Zenjin: YOU will get my back...you have my back...what I envision...my perfect outcome...THAT is my reality and then you add to it: For the sake of all people, I will show actual proof! 

Kate says: Once we decide we will win no matter what ~ 

we need only to continue. 

We've already won. 

The battle is with the negative function within. 

All you need to do is make a fresh determination! Live with hope

One of my favorite quotes of Kate's is:

We Breathe Rarified AIR!

By chanting we can ROOT OUT the causes of our suffering!

Faith is Envisioning the outcome exactly as you want it to be as if there were no obstacles and then challenging the doubt in your mind with your Daimoku and send it like arrows through each obstacle, shooting them down as they arrive in your mind. 

That's why I say be FUELED BY YOUR OBSTACLES, not FOOLED BY THEM!

Battling Depression:

In Kate's own battle over depression, she won by focusing on this thought while chanting: I don’t CARE how many times you rear your ugly head. Depression! I will defeat you. I will root the causes and effects of this depression straight out of my life….and she did just that. 

Based on her guidance I wrote this 

PowerPrayer to Defeat Despair:

Written by Jamie Lee Silver, from the blog ChantforHappiness.com

While chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo I would focus on these thoughts and TELL my life who is BOSS:

No way Unhappiness! You will NOT WIN TODAY!

No way anxiety~I am the Buddha!

I don't CARE how many times I have to chant to defeat you. I WILL WIN! For Myself and for all! 

I am a noble, brilliant Buddha! 

I DEMAND a life free from sadness and fear! 

I root the karmic cause of my sadness and fear

right out of my life now!   

I DEMAND that my environment reflects who I really am, 

not my fears or doubts about who I am. 

I DEMAND that I have the courage 

to do Human Revolution 

and to FOREVER break 

those ties to my own unhappiness. 

I am determined to stop making causes that bring me pain! 

I am determined to make causes that bring me happiness! 

Not just for me, but for everyone!

I MUST succeed 

LIFE 

No matter what! 

I choose to be happy!

I choose happiness now! 

With every new obstacle think:  

"This is just another opportunity for your life to stand up and tell your fundamental darkness who is BOSS. This is just another WAVE, just another WAVE. You MUST stand up to it. You must chant with the conviction that there is no other way than your victory. You must summon that conviction from within your heart." 

Kate said: 

Chant for absolute and total conviction

 in your Buddha Nature

and know that you are changing karma 

for your self, 

for your family 

 for your descendants 

and for the world by this prayer

Pray that THIS Daimoku makes the difference!  

Pray that THIS PRAYER changes your karma forever.

Facing death, Kate said to me:

"NOW is the time to wake up to joy. 

Now, more than ever, 

SGI members need to summon joy, 

forget complaining about anything, 

and wear a radiant smile on our faces. 

She says our smiles must radiate so brightly 

that light comes out of our fingertips 

and we glow as beacons 

so people can learn of the mystic law, 

Nam-myoho-renge-kyo from us, 

and be moved to happiness 

just by being in our presence.

Kate said we must have Joy 

to show the possibilities of life...

JOY is a REQUIREMENT, 

not an afterthought, 

and it comes from our determination 

to summon it from within our lives 

and express it in our smiles, 

the pep in our step, 

and our lives themselves. 

We can do this! 

We can do this for ourselves, 

and by doing this we change the world." 

"Our smile is a cause, not an effect." we can't sit around waiting for joy to come into our lives. We must be joyful, and invite more. That's how it works! 

She said: "Joy's the leading edge. Wake up and be joyful, smile at the person next to you in bed, smile at the person next to you at the store, in the elevator, and at other drivers. BE Kosen rufu in action!" 

"It's gotta be real, but you can also fake it till you make it. Put that smile on your face and you will spark your happiness. Try to be sad with a huge grin. It doesn't work so well!

"We have to go deeper into our own lives, and into the Buddha we are every day. We've gotta do this NOW. This is it. This is our time. We're ALIVE! whether we are 17 or 95. Grab the moment for all it's got and say "I am creating the deepest value that's ever been created. NOW. Right this moment. There's no other moment. There's no other person. How are we influencing the person next to us...it is our SMILE...beaming with joy...Joy!"

STOP complaining. NOW. It must be replaced, even if it's phony at first. It may feel phony but it will cause a shift inside your life.  And we have to keep going deeper and deeper into joy. There can't be a place at which we stop. we need constant movement...constantly going deeper." 

Thank you for a lifetime of WISDOM and DETERMINATION Kate. Thank you for showing us Buddhahood by example. Thank you for walking this world as a Buddha with strength and determination alongside your magnificent family, Hal and Sarah. Thank you for always leading the way. Thank you for your grace. And thank you for your poetry and for bringing us closer to Emily Dickinson. (She performed the one-woman-show The Belle of Amherst like none other)

Thank you for always leading with Daimoku and Shakubuku - the spirit and action to lead others. 

And, if we want to continue Kate's marvelous legacy, let's all be joyful right now! Beaming JOY from our fingertips!

Thank you, Kate!