Give YourSELF Credit!

Think of how far you have come! All day today, think of what you have achieved and reflect on your progress so far. It IS so easy to look at how much farther we have to go....it is so easy to think of the long road in front of us, or the amount of changes/results we still have to produce. For Today - honor your progress!!

I got an email from a reader I've been corresponding with for some time. She has been challenging a fear she has...and showing progress. She has now been given responsibility in the SGI and isn't sure she's quite ready to be able to inspire others....and I say: 

Congratulations! you are absolutely ready to inspire others. Even in the midst of your challenges you can inspire others. Even in the middle of your struggles...you can be at your MOST inspiring. Seeing someone struggle and continue to chant and make positive causes IS inspiring. Never doubt your ability to encourage others...and keep sharpening your skills at encouraging others. How do you do it? You chant for them first. Then when you talk to them you will already have established a life to life connection. THIS is precisely the key for you to all of us to Build our happiest and strongest selves. 

So for today, and all this week. Please give yourself credit. You are a courageous pioneer of the mystic law...you are a roaring lion of your life and an inspiration to others. Praise your life! Chant to praise your life!!! So many of us need to learn this lesson! Be the one who shows others the way!

Happy Monday!

Here's a picture of me, Aaron and my Dad from yesterday. He and Jan are up visiting from North Carolina and we all had a great weekend with them!

Good Monday Morning!

Daisaku Ikeda wrote this for us on January 2nd, 2012...his 84th birthday.

 "Hope Is Life's Treasure"

Hope is
life's treasure.

Those
who have hope
are always happy.

One can have
all the wealth, power and fame
in the world,
but if one loses hope,
one will falter and stumble
in life.

The ancient Roman orator
Cicero wrote:
"Our capital is invested in hope
rather than in money;
if that hope be abandoned,
all else will be amassed
only to be lost later on."

The arrogant
who ridicule the hopeful
invariably fall in defeat,
left with naught but regret.

On no account
must we ruin
our lives,
which shine with such promise!

Hope is
a jewel that inspires and uplifts.
As long as we have hope,
we will never be deadlocked.

Victory always awaits
and happy smiles spread
where there is hope.

In the words of
the admirable Wangari Maathai,
the Kenyan environmental activist
and friend whom my wife and I
will never forget:
"Hope is like a flower,
which, when it blooms,
does so no matter
what mood it's in
or who is watching.
It always gives its best.
We can too."

Hope is
a flower that blossoms
in effort and perseverance.
Hope is
the noble visible reward
of those who accumulate unseen virtue.

People who live out their lives
with hope
never become jaded
or apathetic.

A contributive life
of giving hope
to those who are suffering
is a source of growth,
fulfillment,
learning,
creativity
and solidarity.

The great Spanish author
Miguel de Cervantes wrote,
"Just as light shines
more brightly in darkness,
so hope should be
more steadfast in trials."

Hope is the hallmark
of invincible fortitude.
Life is a struggle -
hence, our challenge is to live
with optimism and strength,
year after year.

InazoNitobe,
the great Tohoku-born educator,
friend of first Soka Gakkai president
Tsunesaburo Makiguchi,
declared that hope
can be found
even in the darkest gloom.

Such hope, he said,
is "visible only
to the eye of
faith and courage."

Even while imprisones dor his beliefs,
President Makiguchi wrote serenely,
"Depending on one's frame of mind,
even hell can be enjoyable."

Josei Toda later said
in gratitude to his martyred mentor,
"In your vast and boundless compassion,
you let me accompany you
even to prison."

As the third Soka Gakkai president,
I have steadfastly walked
the profoundly solemn
path of selfless dedication
of mentor and disciple.

I have given my life
to realizing all
the cherished hopes of
my mentor.
My heart is clear and bright,
without a cloud of regret.

As Nichiren Daishonin writes,
"The sun breaks through
the pitch-black dark."
Courageous faith is
the sun of limitless hope.

Mentor and disciple
committed to the noblest cause
will rise above all trials and adversity;
the unsurpassed brilliance of their lives
shining on forever.

Infinite hope!
The mystic law is the source.
A boundless state of life!
Faith and practice are the key.

In the Lotus Sutra,
we find these truly generous words:
"We beg that the merit (we have) gained...
may be spread far and wide to everyone,
so that we and other beings
all together may attain the Buddha way."

Kosen-rufu us
the supreme and colossal hope
of elevating
all humanity
to a vast life-state
of peace and happiness.

Ah---
Hope! Hope! Hope!
Hope is life's treasure.

At the start of a new year,
a new day,
let us set forth,
brimming with bright hope,
the sun of time without beginning
brimming in our hearts!

Let us boldly break through
even the deepest turmoil
of these troubled times,
and be the ones to create new hope!

Let us advance in triumph,
imparting the hope
of absolute victory
to one person after another!

The French writer and activist
Romain Rolland said,
"The last hope of our day
lies in youth."

I now wish to declare for all to hear:
"The greatest hope for the future lies in Soka youth."

My young friends,
never be defeated!

No matter what trials and hardships
may befall you,
never lose sight of
the golden light of hope!

Oh my friends,
my beloved friends
whom I trust with all my heart,
live out your lives with hope!
Be victorious without fail!

Daisaku Ikeda
--on my 84th birthday,
January 2nd, 2012

The Universe is in the Palm of Your Hand! Be joyful!

It's true. You hold the key to the entire universe that is already within you. All the power of the rushing waterfalls of the earth...all the power of the exploding supernovas...all the power of one person's triumph over evil, all the good and the bad that exists ANYWHERE  - You and I are microcosms of this power. We know this in our hearts. We feel it with our cellular memory. Science is lining up with it at an ever-increasing rate. And WE, you and I, are ahead of the game with the gem of chanting Nam Myoho Renge Kyo in our lives. 

We are ALL pioneers. We are all learning from each other. I'll bet if you and I sat down and had a cup of tea together we would each learn from each other. Soka Gakkai members (Value Creating Society) are mirrors of each other, and together are increase everyone's benefit. 

When we chant we SUMMON this power that is already in our lives. We awaken the knowledge and experience of our OWN power. We OWN it...we own all of it, the good, the bad and the ugly. We don't have to cower at the things we don't like about ourselves, or the unhappiness that still exists in our lives. We can continue to vanquish it through our chanting and determination. 
Through my years of practice I know my own inherent darkness well. It emerges as a voice that makes me feel lonely alone and without hope. But I have raised my awareness of it to the point that I understand it for what it is...just my inherent darkness coming forth...NOT anything REAL, and I can vanquish these thoughts by chanting Nam Myoho Renge Kyo and saying "No! No inherent darkness is arriving to darken MY day! Be gone! I replace dark thoughts with smiles and feeling of JOY and happiness and fulfillment! I am a Buddha! I have the power!"

We ALL can have determinations that make our lives sparkle! Today I am chanting:

"I now raise my life condition and experience every moment of this day as a Buddha. I will soak up every possible sparkling moment of happiness. I will be easy and unstressed! I will enjoy my wonderful family and create memories that will last forever. Everyone will have a great time at my house today, and we'll enjoy this beautiful fall weather and the pleasure of each other's company. I chant to expand my capacity for feeling joy all the way down to my toes! I expand my capacity for connection and love and warmth! Today, on this Beautiful Sunday when my Dad and Mom-Jan are visiting from Asheville North Carolina we will create a brilliant, sparkling memory of song, laughter and joy!" 

What sparkling determination can YOU have today? You BUDDHA You! 

Growing with Each other

I've attached a link here that I know you will find extremely amazing and useful. This is my dear friend Julia's blog. She has an incredibly profound and precise way of expressing this practice. 
I hope you will appreciate the beauty, sincerity and power of this post! Julia is showing tremendous actual proof of this practice...growing in faith and strength and health every moment of every day. 

May you be inspired by her words: 


http://dahliaandmoon.blogspot.com/2012/10/the-orbit-of-faith.html

Access Your Own Power!

We Buddhists know all about this...how to access our own power. Many others who haven't found out about this practice also KNOW they have power within them. But for too many people, they don't know how to bring it out consistently, and channel that power in the direction they want it to go. 

That's where we come in. Every time we have a benefit...every time we share it with others...we help others to get a glimpse of their own power. And when everyone has the tools to tap into their own power, that's how we will create Kosen Rufu together.
World peace through individual happiness! 

None of us is perfect. None of us has a life without problems. I don't have a carefree life...but I must admit, most days I shine like the sun and have a smile on my face...and I love to spread that to others. Life is too short to be glum...even though sometimes it feels like it is the only way. Did you know that you can cheer yourself us just by raising your eyes, looking up and putting a smile on your face? Did you know that a brisk walk can bring energy into your body and oxygen to your brain and improve your spirits? 

These are things I am definitely bearing in mind as the weather hits the mid fifties today. I admit it, I am a warm weather person. I like a good warm fire in the winter, but I prefer a warm beach in the sun. The winter can be hard for my spirits. 

I am following the guidance I gave you yesterday. I am chanting to change in any way possible to convert any disappointment into fulfillment, to change any hunger to fulfillment, so be satisfied and happy and energized. I am chanting to expand my reach...to really reach as far as I can with the good I can do in this world...and I am saying and believing "All the Best is coming to me NOW"

Have a great day!

You can change any problem - and become stronger than ever using this prayer!!!!

If you've been chanting to change things in your life...if you've been chanting about relationships, your career etc...consider looking inward and chanting to change yourself. Changing your SELF - doing your human revolution is vital to your successfull practice. 

What is the process?

1. Own the problem...realize that whatever you want to change may LOOK like it is outside yourself...but it's roots are within your life. That means that you cannot complain or say "WHY ME?". Really you have to own it...not BLAME yourself for it...not feel guilty about it. It's okay to get a little angry and make a fierce and roaring declaration to change whatever you need to change.

2. Turn your prayer INWARD. Chant to change YOURSELF. Chant to have the courage to make the changes you need to make in order to generate the results you want to create in your life. Remember that all change starts from within. And your environment will change to reflect the inner changes you have made. 

A SuperPrayers to accomplish this could be:

"I am determined to make any changes I need to make in my thoughts, my actions, my chanting, to make continual positive causes that will result in rooting the cause of my negative karma OUT OF MY LIFE!  I am determined to make the changes inside myself...to do my own human revolution and raise my life condition! I am determined to change in any way I need to change to attract the .......(you fill in the blank) into my life. Life! I am bringing the determination, wisdom and fire I need to create the life of my dreams. I AM NAM MYOHO RENGE KYO! I AM ROARING LIKE A LION IN MY OWN LIFE! I WILL CREATE MY LIFE! I do this not only for me, but for everyone who is suffering. I am determined to glow within my own life. I am determined to be a shining light for all who are suffering. I am determined to be the beacon of hope that ANYONE can solve their problems by chanting Nam Myoho Renge Kyo. I am ready to meet people who are ready to hear about this practice!  I chant to have the most inspiring life. Gohonzon (my life) I need to see these results now!"

You can do this! You Buddha YOU!

You WILL LOVE this post!!! A reader has a breakthrough!

Here is a great experience for you!
I originally heard from this reader in May. She and I exchanged several emails (not all of which I'm publishing here...but I promise, if you send me an email I will do my best to respond personally to you) 

My first email from this reader:

"I hope all is great.

Just been reading some articles on your blog and wanted to say thank you many times for 

your writings! I came into Buddhism after my heart was shattered too and every day I am feeling that I am letting go

and gaining a clear understanding of what kind of relationship I need. I also attracted a man who takes very good care of me

and who truly seems to like me. "

Later, she and I exchanged a few personal emails. Then she sent me an email describing how she had fallen and not gotten hurt, and how that incident was a realization for her as follows:

However, i realized that the focal point should be us asking Gohonzon

to strengthen our Buddhanature. 

Just as I fell physically and got back on my feet with great ease - it is important to cultivate and maintain a personality which is strong and well balanced. 

Reaching our goals is important, 

but many of them may only be reachable when we are truly ready spiritually

and psychologically. 

The main purpose is building that powerful self 

which can become capable of using all those benefits we ask for. 

So, I feel for having good relationships it is important to be your own best friend 

and be self - loving and reflect this attitude of self-love 

in the way we interact with other people - 

and by chanting many daimokus for “us” (family, other SGI members). 

I also believe that one can improve once self-confidence and self-esteem 

and thus be even more capable and strong 

for holding down one`s desired job and reaching the set goals (

or identifying them as nonsense). 

What i also like about this Buddhism is that no matter the circumstances - 

we do not throw the towel. Perseverance is key. 

Kosen Rufu starts with every single one of us fostering peace in ourselves, 

with our friends, at work. 

And her breakthrough came:

Just wanted to let you know that things have improved considerably. 

I got a better job situation and a nice place to stay AND my last boyfriend called me on

my birthday and he was really super sweet to me. He paid me a lot of compliments

and said me and my best friends should come to NY and he will keep me up 

to date on what is going on in his life. What a break through! Been chanting soooo

much for everything and my life right now is very, very impressive. 

Nichiren Buddhism is soooo goood. Sooooo goood. I am really grateful for having been introduced and it works wonders!!

Here are some of the elements she followed to produce her breakthrough! 

1)  I found that idea of making wishing lists very helpful

2) You encourage people do keep going even though their might not be any kind of proof at first. I kept chanting, chanting and chanting for a great situation with my ex even though "everybody" told me to just let it go....the results are impressive: as if all of that negative stuff had never happened  between us. 

3) I like the fact that you encourage people to demand proof. In my SGI circles people often tell me the Gohonzon is exlusively inside yourself and everything which happens is done by you. But, I noticed that chanting creates situations I would not have been able to control just by being me. So, yes, my Buddhanature get evoked, but things also start happening around me without me putting too much effort. It is almost like chanting puts me into favorable situations.  

I LOVE Hearing your Experiences! you can encourage others by letting me post them here. Thank you so much my friend!!! You GO Girl! 

If you REALLY are ready to change your karma ... do these things!

I am receiving mail from many of you who are lacking in hope and finding it hard to chant. Pleas read this post and consider it as personal guidance to YOU. YOU can do it. No one else can change your karma and change your life. You are the only one. You have all the tools you need! You are one of the lucky ones! You have found this practice. It's your time to take this practice and make the changes you want...and really become happy! 

I have always said that practicing Buddhism is not easy. It requires courage. It not only requires courage but it helps to BUILD courage and a strong sense of self. When you practice as I've outlined here you will be strong. You can take on ANYTHING. You will be happy. It takes perseverance, but I am here to tell you that you can achieve whatever you want. You can be happier than you ever imagined possible. But it takes work! And your life and happiness is WORTH IT!

There are 5 KEY aspects to a correct practice of chanting Nam Myoho Renge Kyo.

And when we are activating them ALL we are all HAPPIER in every possible way. Until you have activated these actions in your life you will never really know your own full power...you will be able to ROAR LIKE A LION. You will have power in your won precious life! 

1. It is important to be in the ORBIT OF FAITH! Attending SGI meetings is crucial. We really can't practice adequately alone. We all act as mirrors for each other. Our meetings serve to deepen our ties to each other and our ties to the world. If there is something you don't like about your meetings, chant to change them! How you feel about your Buddhist meetings is really a reflection of your own karma...life tendencies. If you "look down" on all the people at the meetings, you also "look down" on people everywhere. Have patience with yourself. See if you can summon the Ichinen (will put into action) to make a difference. Many of us have struggled with this at some time. I love being a leader because I infuse each meeting with energy. I chant at least an hour for the success of each meeting...I chant for every member to have a deep and meaningful experience at every meeting - refreshed in faith, more determined, happier!

2. Help others! Try this! Don't take my word for it! Encouraging others in their faith is crucial. And telling others about chanting is crucial too...even just giving them a Nam Myoho Renge card. I give out cards every single day. I have to. I feel I have discovered the key to absolute happiness and it fills me with joy to pass it on to others. I went to the doctor yesterday and the two lovely nurses may come to a meeting soon. I always give cards to people who help me in stores. They are always happy to get them. I love makeup and perfume and love to spend time trying new things. Last night I got a call from someone who I gave a card to TWO years ago at Sephora (a makeup store). She said she now works in the makeup department of another of my favorite stores and she told someone about me, and they had one of my cards too. Last week she came my study meeting, and she plans to come this week too! 

3. Chant every morning and evening. Chanting twice a day PUTS YOUR LIFE IN RHYTHM TO WIN! THERE IS NO SUBSTITUTE FOR THIS! It sounds hard, but it is really the easy way. Chanting is MUCH HARDER when you do it every once in a while...and your results are less consistent too. You decide how long you will chant. I know that the more effort I put into my daily practice, the harder I work to stay focused, the MORE I connect with the Gohonzon (which is my life itself) the easier the rest of my life goes. I chant a minimum of an hour in my "laboratory of my life" every day. When I began this blog I was chanting a minimum of two hours a day. I often find I chant more when I have a lot of challenges, and the more I chant the more I WANT TO chant. Try it!

4. Study with the intention of deepening your faith.  In Nichiren Buddhism FAITH IS A VERB and a MUSCLE! Chant to strengthen  your faith. Chant to have the kind of benefit that makes you truly believe your own power. And do this again and again! THIS is exercising the muscle of FAITH. It is the power you muster while you are chanting to activate the power of your prayer. Studying is like working the muscle of faith. It will help you produce results. It will strengthen your faith. Studying the Gosho by Nichiren Daishonin, and the words of our mentor, Daisaku Ikeda will help you become happier and healthier and stronger in every way!

5. MAKE A STRONG DETERMINATION. Write it down. Really, writing it down is powerful! What do you want? What do you really want? How do you want to feel? What do you want to make happen? Who do you want to BE? Avoid the tendency to blame your environment. Blaming the people, things, jobs etc. is not useful. Instead, accept that your karma is your karma and vow to change it! That is where your power lies! Not in complaint!Chant to root your suffering out of your life. I visualize the roots of a tree inside my body and literally pull them out in my mind while I am chanting. Chant to expand the power within your own life. Chant to raise your life condition and be the strong Buddha you are meant to be! 

Exercising that MUSCLE of faith!

Good beautiful Saturday Morning!!!

This is such a unique practice! You don't HAVE to believe that chanting Nam Myoho Renge Kyo works because it is a LAW. It doesn't have a personality. It doesn't CARE whether you believe it works. It works ANYWAY....like Gravity...like turning on a light. 

You chant Nam Myoho Renge Kyo and you tap into the life force of the universe that is your birthright. We are children of the universe...that is not just some song from the sixties! Our eyes are the stars, our veins are the rivers, our hair is the trees, we ARE microcosms of the universe and we have always known this.  And now, because of some very brave people who risked (and lost) their lives - we can now tap into the life force by chanting the name of the rhythm of life itself NAM MYOHO RENGE KYO! 

When we chant Nam Myoho Renge Kyo we TELL our lives what we want. That's what we are doing when we chant. 

I posted an experience by Kathy Fisher a couple of weeks ago. She chanted for the perfect job and it took her a while to find it....and this job is totally amazing. She got everything she chanted for and more. I'm asking her to write a new experience to tell you how incredibly cool her first month has been...how appreciated she is...how she feels she has found a home...how perfectly she understands her role there and how much she loves the actual job and the people. It is HER job, and that's what she was chanting for. She didn't get discouraged because it didn't appear for a while. She kept chanting...undaunted...and she kept encouraging people...and bringing people to meetings...and she KNEW she would be victorious. 

That's how we ALL need to be. 

Chant for what you want and don't give up.!!!! Some things take longer than others. Some happen that very same day (as you know!) but the important thing is to not give up. 

There are a few key things I want to pass along to you today. Remember when you are having challenges with ANY PERSON...ANYWHERE to chant sincerely for their happiness. It works 100% of the time. Don't believe me! Try it yourself. We are ALL connected. Chanting for others brings happiness to them, to you, to all of life. This is Buddhism. This is the pure energy of interconnectivity that we live in. Isn't it wonderful!

And another thing....you are WORTHY of EVERY HAPPINESS and EVERY DESIRE! You are WORTHY! You were born worthy! You are so wonderful and precious, so beautiful and new. The world has never seen a more beautiful being with a bigger heart than YOU! Please chant for ANYTHING you desire...even if your friends tell you you shouldn't. Tapping into your real, honest and true desire will lead you to chant sincerely and become the happiest YOU possible. 

And one other thing, and I KNOW I say this all the time...please make sure to join the orbit of faith and meet your friends along the path at your local SGI meetings! They are there to teach you and to learn from you! Send me a note if you need help finding your local meeting. They take place all over the world. 

And send me your comments and experiences! You know how I love hearing from you!!! I'd LOVE to post YOUR experiences in faith on this blog! THink of how much you can help others by inspiring them! 

I am heading out into a lovely day filled with people and adventures I have brought into my life through chanting for my desires. I am living the life of my dreams. I wish you ALL a wonderful joy-filled day!

Testing the Limits of our Faith

First of all I want to thank my friend in France for writing this comment: 

"I must say that I have been following your blog for quite sometime. I love everything that I have received from you. I am based in Europe in France. Practising for twelve years and facing challenges of my own. Our lives seem to be in tune as you always seem to tap exactly what I am struggling with. Deep deep gratitude to you for your wonderful work and for your words of encouragement that touch many like me. I am inspired by you to keep on chanting, achieve my goals and overcome my karma. Thank you on How to REALLY USE THIS PRACTICE!"

Your comments are sooooo important to me. Thank you so much for taking the time to write!

This morning I want to write about testing our limits of faith. In Nichiren Buddhism FAITH IS A VERB! You have to make it happen! You have to summon it from inside your life!

I sat down today to chant for a person in my life. A person who is very close to me...and for some reason all I could hear in my brain was "this will never work". Now, I can't tell you why I heard this in my brain! All I can tell you is it was there! I always set my sights on chanting for a full hour, so sometimes when I first start chanting it is very hard to connect and rev up that chanting engine. All I hear are the voices in my own head. But I don't get up. I stay there. I keep chanting. And sooner of later the FAITH kicks in...I exercise that muscle. I make my mind focus on seeing this person with a happy face and chanting and smiling. And after a little while my "chanting muscle" is strong again and I can really see my prayer having an effect. 

When you are experiencing the limits of your faith, and you are face to face with something you don't believe will happen - don't give up! Keep chanting. As I was chanting I was realizing this was actually an opportunity to strengthen my faith. How perfect. We ALL need to strengthen our faith. What an amazing practice this is...how much we can grow and become strong and happy and help ALL the people we love and everyone who is struggling. 

Exercise that muscle! You WILL GROW!!!

How to REALLY USE THIS PRACTICE!

I received an email from a reader who is very unhappy. 

She told me she doesn't chant every day or go to meetings, but something inside her made her write to me. I offer these words to her, and to you. I have always said that practicing Buddhism is not easy. It requires courage. It not only requires courage but it helps to BUILD courage and a strong sense of self. When you practice as I've outlined here you will be strong. You can take on ANYTHING. You will be happy. It takes perseverance, but I am here to tell you that you can achieve whatever you want. You can be happier than you ever imagined possible. But it takes work! And your life and happiness is WORTH IT!

There are 5 KEY aspects to a correct practice of chanting Nam Myoho Renge Kyo.

And when we are activating them ALL we are all HAPPIER in every possible way. Until you have activated these actions in your life you will never really know your own full power...you will be able to ROAR LIKE A LION. You will have power in your won precious life! 

1. It is important to be in the ORBIT OF FAITH! Attending SGI meetings is crucial. We really can't practice adequately alone. We all act as mirrors for each other. Our meetings serve to deepen our ties to each other and our ties to the world. If there is something you don't like about your meetings, chant to change them! How you feel about your Buddhist meetings is really a reflection of your own karma...life tendencies. If you "look down" on all the people at the meetings, you also "look down" on people everywhere. Have patience with yourself. See if you can summon the Ichinen (will put into action) to make a difference. Many of us have struggled with this at some time. I love being a leader because I infuse each meeting with energy. I chant at least an hour for the success of each meeting...I chant for every member to have a deep and meaningful experience at every meeting - refreshed in faith, more determined, happier!

2. Help others! Encouraging others in their faith is crucial. And telling others about chanting is crucial too...even just giving them a Nam Myoho Renge card. I give out cards every single day. I have to. I feel I have discovered the key to absolute happiness and it fills me with joy to pass it on to others. I went to the doctor yesterday and the two lovely nurses may come to a meeting soon. I always give cards to people who help me in stores. They are always happy to get them. I love makeup and perfume and love to spend time trying new things. Last night I got a call from someone who I gave a card to TWO years ago at Sephora (a makeup store). She said she now works in the makeup department of another of my favorite stores and she told someone about me, and they had one of my cards too. Tonight she is coming to my study meeting!

3. Chant every morning and evening. You decide how long you will chant. I know that the more effort I put into my daily practice, the harder I work to stay focused, the MORE I connect with the Gohonzon (which is my life itself) the easier the rest of my life goes. I chant a minimum of an hour in my "laboratory of my life" every day. When I began this blog I was chanting a minimum of two hours a day. I often find I chant more when I have a lot of challenges, and the more I chant the more I WANT TO chant. Try it!

4. Study with the intention of deepening your faith.  In Nichiren Buddhism FAITH IS A VERB. It is the power you muster while you are chanting to activate the power of your prayer. Studying is like working the muscle of faith. It will help you produce results. It will strengthen your faith. Studying the Gosho by Nichiren Daishonin, and the words of our mentor, Daisaku Ikeda will help you become happier and healthier and stronger in every way!

5. MAKE A STRONG DETERMINATION. Write it down. Really, writing it down is powerful! What do you want? What do you really want? How do you want to feel? What do you want to make happen? Who do you want to BE? Avoid the tendency to blame your environment. Blaming the people, things, jobs etc. is not useful. Instead, accept that your karma is your karma and vow to change it! That is where your power lies! Not in complaint!

Grateful for the "Laboratory" of my Daimoku

I just finished my morning Gongyo and Daimoku. I am filled with gratitude for this practice. Every day I get to sit down and stir things up in the laboratory that is my life. 

I get to dig deep into life itself and direct my thought, my intentions and my prayers in any way I want. 

When I chant I am having a conversation with my life, with all of life, with the rhythm of the universe itself. 

Today I told my life:

"Throw open the doors of my heart and let me see my the way clear to advance. I am determined to have the courage, the wisdom, the fortitude and the discipline and correct ACTION to shore up the areas of my life where I am determined to change and create the results I want to see...I am determined to be absolutely victorious in all areas of my life...career...health...relationships! Show me what I don't know that I don't know! I am ready for more growth, more happiness, and to break down the door of what I THINK I know! I am ready, I am ready! Direct the flow of my life with  President Ikeda's so I can tap into the vast resources of creating peace and happiness along with him! And I have to break down these doors and get to the next level so I can help others to achieve a level of happiness that they can hardly imagine is possible!" 

How wonderful that we are living this life together! 

I wish you the happiest of days, and a deep and meaningful and fun time in front of your own Gohonzon in YOUR laboratory of life!!!

Nam Myoho Renge Kyo!

Best Birthday Ever!

This is my birthday weekend! And I have absolutely broken through so much! 

I post those gorgeous flowers to show you my actual proof. These flowers are from the man who has been so special in my life and who I used to be filled with happiness and suffering over. I know a lot of you know just what I mean. And the flowers are so beautiful to me because I am not suffering over this wonderful man any longer...I am not in the world of hunger or longing...I have moved straight into the world of appreciation! 

I hear from so many of you about the ONE MAN who will fulfill you, and OH do I ever know how you feel. But the truth, as we all know deep inside, is that only YOU can fulfill YOU! But it is a battle that needs to be fought in front of the Gohonzon. You will know that you have broken through when you are happy NO MATTER WHAT! It may not happen overnight. But it will happen if you persevere! 

Have you ever spent time chanting - and you KNOW beyond a shadow of the doubt that in this session you got down to a level of karma, faced it and KNOW you will never be the same? This happened for me this week. 

On Thursday I had a date scheduled with a new wonderful man, but we hadn't set the exact time and I was waiting to hear from him, and I was chanting sincerely. I realized that my pattern, my karma, was to usually expect the worst, and usually be disappointed in my relationships.  I reviewed every relationship from my kindergarten first love Russell who moved away, to Gary in 7th grade who listened to his friends when they mocked him about liking me so he dropped me...and on and on and on.  I chanted and said to my life "I will change in ANY WAY I need to change to no longer expect the worst from men. I take full responsibility for generating this energy, and I vow to change it. I know I can! I am digging deep to change this karma, I will change this karma and my relationships will bring me joy not sadness!" And as I got up from that half hour I actually felt different. As you can imagine I had a wonderful evening that night...and it is continuing on and on...I have been generating love and acceptance for my own sweet self, and focusing on receiving all the good the universe has for me, and it is working!! I feel so great and I had the best birthday I have ever had! 

I woke up yesterday, September 22nd, chanted, talked to dear friends from all over, then I took out my guitar and played and sang for an hour and a half. After that, I had a rapturous lunch with Ben, my sweet son who came all the way from Oxford Ohio to help me celebrate my birthday. I came home to receive a delivery of gorgeous flowers, took a walk with a dear friend, and received a telephone call from KATE (from LA) that she was in the airport in Chicago and could come and spend the night and go to my party. I raced to the airport, then the party where I played guitar and sang and so did both my boys. And every single moment of the day I was singing the praises of my wonderful life in my heart. There is absolutely no trace of the "poor me...why me" thoughts that used to appear so frequently...no trace of any dissatisfaction with a single moment...and I've been feeling this way for some time. 

I have really broken through. As a Buddha we need to realize that we just can't blame our environment for anything! We ARE our environment and the only thing that is of ANY USE is to change ourselves, and then everything will change. 

I know this is a deeply personal post, and some of you will probably be thinking "Who IS this woman" but for those of you who have been reading chantfothappiness.com for some time, I hope you realize that I am writing this to encourage you that NO MATTER WHAT PAIN YOU ARE IN. No matter what you are struggling with....if you persevere you can fly on wings of happiness just like I am. But you can't blame your environment! You can't BLAME anything, not even yourself. You must instead accept responsibility, and face it and stare it down in front of the Gohonzon! We must ROAR like LIONS and realize that WE DESERVE TO BE HAPPY! And we have the ultimate tool to create it. How did I do it? I continued to chant for what I really wanted...what I really wanted...and it has led me to fulfillment and happiness! 

Don't give up! 

A Quote to engrave in our lives!

This is from the same person I posted about the other day! Here is her follow up. 
Thank you soooo much for writing and sharing your determination and one of my favorite quotes ever! 

"Thank you Jamie for your encouragement. I haven't chanted for two days but now I realized that I didn't know what type of job I wanted but thanks to doing the homework assignment (even thought I didn't get the interview) and chanting I realized it's a position I am interested in and I think that's the kinda job I want to focus on getting! I would never have discovered that if I didn't do the required research to gain more insight on the position.

Also last night this quote popped up on my facebook page

"When your determination changes, 

everything else will begin to move in the direction 

you desire. 

The moment you resolve to be victorious, 

every nerve and fiber in your being 

will immediately orient itself toward your success.

 On the other hand, if you think 

"This is never going to work out," 

then at that instant every cell in your being 

will be deflated and give up the fight, 

and then everything really will move in the direction 

of failure."- President Ikeda 

Today I am making a determination to get a job at a better company that will hire me for the same position.I will be getting back in touch with you to share my victory:)

THANK YOU FOR BEING SUCH AN INSPIRATION AND FOR TAKING THE TIME OUT TO ENCOURAGE ALL OF US"

And thank YOU for writing to me and allowing me to share your encouraging experience! I am really looking forward to hearing of your brilliant success! With this kind of attitude you will definitely WIN!!!

Why don't we get everything we want - and how do we deal with disappointment and keep our determination STRONG?

I received this comment/question from a reader today:

"So I've been chanting a lot for this one job 60-90 mins a day +morning/evening gongyo+studying+attending meetings.It was my dream company and a position I was really interested in.I got a phone interview after which they gave me an assignment to complete and if I passed that they would call me for an interview.I kept chanting and worked really hard on the assignment. 3 weeks later they sent me an email saying I didn't pass the homework round.I am so confused and upset because I gave it my all and I chanted with a lot of determination focusing all my daimoku on getting this position. I know I shouldn't doubt the practice but how am I suppose to have faith when my prayers go 

unanswered?" 

Thank you so much for writing to me. 

I know how hard this is...when you feel like you've been making all the right causes and your benefit is still on its way. 

This is a crucial moment for you...a crucial moment to REALLY grow and learn and deepen your faith. 

This is the HARD WORK OF HUMAN REVOLUTION. 
THIS is why I say this practice is not easy, and why we say a sword will be useless in the hands of a coward. 
It is important to not turn outward and blame anyone or anything for the fact that you did not get this job. The "Universe" is not to blame, and neither are you. Now is the time to reflect upon yourself. Now is the time to continue taking action and avoid feeling sorry for yourself. 
Just dig in, make a new determination, make your list of what you want and keep chanting and encouraging others no matter what! 

Please do not lose hope or give up your faith. Did you read kathy's experience in finding a job. I don't want to discourage you, but she did take quite a while...and there were many jobs along the way that she thought were "HER" jobs, that turned out NOT to be her jobs at all. 

She did not give up...she stayed the course. She continued chanting, helping and encouraging others, studying, chanting and chanting and taking steady action every single day towards finding her job. And the job she found has benefits overflowing in about a million different ways. I posted her experience about a month ago and I am going to ask her to write more. She wrote her experience before she started, and since then she has had benefit after benefit unfold every day for her at work. It really IS her job!!!  Do not give up!!! Be even MORE determined. Many of us have not had our prayer answered yet...but it is our fierce determination that strengthens our characters and I ASSURE you...your prayer will be answered if you don't give up!!!

From Daisaku Ikeda: 

"There are many times our prayers seem to take ages to be fulfilled, or when they remain unrealized despite the most impassioned chanting of Nam Myoho Renge Kyo. But the important thing to remember is to keep chanting until they ARE answered. Our continued chanting gives us the chance to take a good hard look at ourselves, leading to positive changes on our daily lives. It's like work ~ you get a job, and go to work but you don't get paid on the first day. Or it's like gardening ~ you plant a sapling and water it every day, but it still takes a long time for it to grow into a tall tree...all good things come from continual, repeated efforts." 

Encouragement !

I just got off the phone from speaking with a young woman. I am now offering personal coaching by phone. As soon as I have it set up I will let you know about it. In the meantime I am going to share with you the encouragement I gave her this morning. It is universal encouragement and should help all kinds of suffering. 

She called me in a deep state of suffering and discouragement. She is having health problems, relationship problems and depression. 

I understand. 

I also know that she can be happy. She knows about the mystic law. She can chant Nam Myoho Renge Kyo. She doesn't have a Gohonzon yet, but she can make a determination to get one. 

Here is my main message to her...and I share this with you to encourage you or anyone you know who needs encouragement. 

Encouragement: (meaning to give courage!)

Your life can change profoundly as of this very moment. 
This conversation, these words that I am speaking and you are reading now can be the beginning of a totally new outcome and new life for you. It all depends on you and on your determination. Make a bold new determination. Up to now your life has been pushing you this way and that way. 

Now it is time for YOU to take charge and tell your life what it is you want. And you can do that because you know how to chant! 

Chant to strengthen your body, mind and emotions. 

Chant to be strong NO MATTER WHAT is going on in your life. 

Chant to experience life as the strong wonderful BUDDHA you already are. 

Chant to feel that power welling forth in your life. 

Chant to get a Gohonzon if you don't have one - as soon as possible! And to connect with the Soka Gakkai International (The BSG in India) and to connect with the life blood of faith and President Ikeda! Read his guidance and chant, chant, chant,chant!!!

Look in the mirror and say "TODAY IS A NEW DAY! I AM CHANGING FROM NOW ON! I AM USHERING IN A NEW LIFE OF HAPPINESS,  STRENGTH AND FULFILLMENT, and I know sometime in the future I will be able to help others with what I have been through!" 

Write your new determination and put it up on the wall. 
"All the best is coming to me now!!!
I am DETERMINED TO become stronger every single day! I am becoming happier every day." And chant to make it so. 
When you feel negative thoughts creep into your mind tell those thoughts: "NOT TODAY! I am NOT thinking negative thoughts today! Today I am chanting to be strong and happy and to PRAISE MY LIFE!" 

And keep chanting!

Have a great day!!!