Never Give Up! from Sensei

Love YourSelf! Keep Your Eyes Open While Chanting and Enjoy Your Daimoku!

One of my early Buddhist mentors said we should greet the Gohonzon as we would a lover...to have that feeling of love in our hearts while we are chanting. 

We are, after all, greeting ourselves, aren't we? 

And love for ourselves is the most crucial and key element of happiness and contentment that makes all things flourish. Since our environment is a reflection of ourselves, it makes so much sense to fill our hearts and ourselves with self love. 

I recently saw the beginning of a video of a person I really respect ~ Louise Hay, founder of Hay House Publishing. She is now in her eighties and STILL living a vibrant, exciting and contributive life. Her main message was that all happiness stems from loving yourself. That's where it begins and ends. 

How do we love ourselves? 

I believe this is a life-long journey with many facets and twists and turns in the road. And I KNOW that I made huge strides the moment I decided to speak nicely to myself in my head. I challenge you to stop saying mean things to yourself. 

Stop calling yourself a failure, or an idiot, or stupid ~ stop getting mad at your imperfections and focus on words of praise! 

Tell yourself "Look how far you've come! you are definitely on the right track! I am so proud of you!" It might sound corny, but being NICE to yourself will change your life. So will making a vow with yourself not to complain. 

I think how we greet the Gohonzon is key to how we greet our lives, because the Gohonzon, is, after all, our life itself. 

I offer you these quotes from Sensei! 

Enjoy!

Daisaku Ikeda says:
"It's best to keep your eyes open 
and to look at the Gohonzon. 
It's generally considered impolite 
not to look others in the eye while talking to them. 
This is also true 
when we are facing and addressing the Gohonzon 
as we do Gongyo and chant daimoku. 
If you do close your eyes occasionally, 
there's no need to worry. 
It's just that when we close our eyes, 
it can be more difficult 
to commune strongly with the Gohonzon. 
This, of course, 
does not apply to people who are blind 
or vision-impaired 
who need to simply chant or do gongyo 
to the Gohonzon within their hearts. " 
From Faith in Action page 122. 

Also:

"It's very important to sit before the Gohonzon 
as though going to meet the original Buddha, 
Nichiren Daishonin, 
and that daimoku and gongyo be enjoyable. 
What's most important 
is that you continue 
in your Buddhist practice throughout life. 
There's no need to be overly concerned with formality." Faith in Action, Page 122

8 Tips for Chanting the First Time

You can change anything through chanting because you change yourself. We call this "doing our Human Revolution" and when we change on the inside, because of the interconnectivity of all life, our environment HAS to change too. 

Connecting with they Mystic law, the Law of Cause and Effect has a deep impact on us. Intoning the Daimoku of the Lotus Sutra, Nam-myoho-renge-kyo means "I fuse my life with the mystic law of cause and effect through sound vibration" or, as some say "I tune my life to the rhythm of life." Saying these words is a great cause that can allow you to break through all suffering and create a life of happiness. 

"Nam-myoho-renge-kyo is like the roar of a Lion. What sickness could therefore be an obstacle?" 
~Nichiren Daishonin 

Ideally you will chant for the first time with another person who will be able to guide you in your practice. use the SGI Portal Link to the right to find people in your area, or chant first with the person who referred you to this post. 

1. Make a list of what you really want in life. Take a fresh look at your desires and write them down.  Dream big. What do you really want? What do you want for yourself? What do you want for others? What do you want for the world? Make a list. Write it down and put the date on it. 

Many people began chanting with desires that later turned into other desires. So don't worry about your current desires, and whether they are the "right" desires to have. Chanting is progressive, both you and your desires will evolve. I know people who began a very rewarding practice chanting for things that were important at the time, but later changed into other desires. 

One of my friends chanted for a month to prove to his wife that this practice doesn't work. More than 40 years later he is still practicing. In Nichiren Buddhism your desires ARE enlightenment. It is okay to desire whatever you desire, whether it's money, the happiness of someone else, a relationship, a job, or peace of mind and contentment. With continued practice you will see that your dreams for yourself actually become tied to the dreams of happiness for all. 

Chant for what is really in your heart. Be true to yourself. 

2. Start a Journal. No, you don't HAVE to do this. But I think it helps! Writing in a journal helps you become aware of your progress and benefits.

3. Choose a place to chant comfortably and consistently. Find your "home" with your home, where you can feel comfortable chanting out loud, having a dialogue with your life itself. 

4. Choose a focus point on the wall. Some people chant to a blank wall; I chanted to a moon in a picture. Please do not print a photo of the Gohonzon from the internet, or use any kind of idol or or person to focus on. Choose a focal point slightly above eye level. 

5. You may wish to have a small table nearby for tea or your journal. 

6. Write the words Nam Myoho Renge Kyo 
on a piece of paper. 

The words are pronounced as follows: 

Nam ~    Nahm, rhymes with Mom, 
Myoho ~ meeyohoh,  
Renge ~  rain gay, 
Kyo ~     kee oh. 
Nam Myoho Renge Kyo. 
Nahm Meeyohoh Rain Gay Kee Oh
(Phonetic spelling) 

7. Begin to chant. Hold your hands with the palms facing in and touching each other in front of your heart. Sit with your back as straight as possible (but be comfortable, as I already stated - this practice is not about formalities) and say Nam-myoho-renge-kyo over and over and over again. 

8. Go to a Soka Gakkai meeting as soon as you can. The SGI Portal to the right will help you locate a center near you, and you can call that center to connect to your local meeting house. 

When you're chanting:

You do not have to concentrate on anything at first. Just say the words. Breathe whenever you have to for as long as you like. See if you can chant for a few minutes, then a few minutes more. Chant for as long as you can!  

The rhythm should sound like a train moving, or horses running. There should be some energy to it. You can chant as fast or as slow as you wish. Your speed of chanting is up to you. 
If you want to hear how it sounds you can go to the top right corner of this blog and chant with me. I begin slowly and speed up with more energy. 

Can you get to the point where you don’t have to think about the words, but can actually think about what you want? It may take a little time. Naturally you will begin to chant for what is in your heart. 

Many religions and forms of practice do not encourage people to have their OWN desires. Most of us grew up in cultures where religions never talked of our own Happiness...but this practice is different. Please mull this over. Your desires are YOU. Your desires are inspired from the depths of your life, they are as beautiful and wonderful as you are. 

When you are finished chanting you can write in your journal, if you'd like.

Start by writing an assessment of your life right now. What’s going well, what you’d like to improve on... Then write how you felt before chanting and after chanting. In your journal set a goal for how much you want to chant every day.  When I started, chanted five minutes a day in the morning and five minutes in the evening. That was enough. I had a timer next to me and I’m sure there were times I stopped before I’d even reached five minutes! You will build up momentum! 

Commit to chant twice a day every day. Establishing a twice a day rhythm to your chanting is important. It gets the wheels of your life moving. 

Keep your goals in mind and you’ll remember your reasons for chanting! 

These words and this vibration go deep into the heart of your life itself. They summon forth your highest wisdom, vitality and sense of purpose. They also uproot the karma that is making you suffer, and give you the opportunity to change this karma forever. 

When you chant you are entering into a dialogue with your life itself. You are not chanting to any god or asking for favors. Instead, you are connecting with the rhythm of the universe itself. 

As Nichiren Daishonin says in the famous writing (Gosho) "On Attaining Buddhahood" :

"If you wish to free yourself from the sufferings of birth and death you have endured since time beginning and to attain without fail unsurpassed enlightenment in this lifetime, you must perceive the mystic truth that is originally inherent in all living beings. This truth is Myoho-renge-kyo. Chanting Myoho-renge-kyo will therefore enable you to grasp the mystic truth innate in all life...It is called the mystic truth because it explains the mutually inclusive relationship of life and all phenomena. 
"Life at each moment encompasses the body and mind and the self and environment of all sentient beings in the ten worlds, as well as all insentient beings in the three thousand realms, including plants, sky and earth, and even the most minute particles of dust. Life at each moment permeates the universe and is revealed in all phenomena. One awakened to this principle himself embodies this relationship. However, even though you chant and believe in Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, if you think the Law is outside yourself, you are embracing not the mystic law but some inferior teaching."
From Lectures on Attaining Buddhahood in this Lifetime by Daisaku Ikeda, 2007  

In other words, when you chant Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo you are accessing the mystic law which has always been within your life. 

You will still have challenges and problems in life when you chant...but eventually you will see them as the opportunities they are. Problems are the FUEL you need to catapult your life into a life of happiness and joy. You have begun a journey to uncover the true happiness that exists in your shining Buddha life. Congratulations!

It is crucial to a successful Nichiren Buddhist practice to join the family of fellow practitioners, your fellow Soka Gakkai (SGI) members. There are many ways to locate the Soka Gakkai practitioners in your area. You can click on the SGI-USA portal to the right. 

You can also do a search on Soka Gakkai followed by whatever country you live in. Then call the center closest to your home and ask to be connected to the nearest district. 

The correct form of this practice cannot be done alone. It must be done within the orbit of faith. Joining with fellow travelers is essential. Other Soka Gakkai members will be happy to help you learn to chant, overcome your problems, and reveal your brilliant, wonderful self!  
and go to IKEDAQUOTES.org to read Daisaku Ikeda's words. He is lighting the way for us all...and for YOU!
Websites that might be helpful include SGI-USA.org and SGI.org. They contain information that is very useful. 
You may want to scroll through the titles of other posts on this blog as well. 

Let me know if I can help you. Email me with questions at chantforhappiness@gmail.com 

Happy Diwali from a Reader

Such a Beautiful Blessing I received  ~ I have to share it with you. Thank you my dear friend Reet!


Today is Diwali- it's a Festival of Lights - of celebrations of good  over evil. I wish you the very best always that life has to offer.

May the sparkling and mellow flames of this Festival of Lights sweep away the cobwebs of darkness from our hearts and mind.

May the lights illumine our thinking with love and tolerance for each other.

May happiness, good health and prosperity be yours constantly!
HAPPY DIWALI


Best- Reet
Sent from my iPhone

PowerPrayer for Unleashing the Power of Our Own Lives

We all limit ourselves at times, 
or limit the vision of what we can achieve. 

Our lives are so deeply and infinitely powerful. 

This is a PowerPrayer from "The BuddhaZone, PowerPrayers for Chanting for Your Absolute Happiness", to help us to focus our chanting to achieve even more than we ever thought possible ~ 

PowerPrayer for 

Unleashing the power of the Gohonzon

(Your Life Itself)

Note: Not for the Faint of Heart!

I now unleash the unlimited power of the Gohonzon 

in my life

and I un-limit the Gohonzon 

by chanting for what is truly best for me.

I am determined to increase my levels of strength and fortitude 

to be equal to the full force of the activated

Gohonzon, my life itself.

As I chant, the positive energy within my life 

continues to overpower my fear and negativity.

Each day I am moving closer and closer to my goal

on behalf of myself 

and of all others.

Awakening Our Infinite Potential, and Helping Others Do the Same!

Wow, November is already here! How are you doing? Write me at chantforhappiness@gmail.com.

I am chanting up a storm for shakubuku. Each hour I chant is going so quickly. I am dedicating my life to awakening in one YWD her infinite potential. She has been to three meetings and I am chanting for her to feel the effects of chanting, and to get her own Gohonzon so that she can fully bring forth her brilliant power. I am chanting for the District and chanting that through this prayer for shakubuku for one person, ALL are awakened to their infinite potential, and each person who is seeking happiness can awaken to their own beaming Budhahood. 

And, of course, through having this deep prayer for others, all my challenges are working themselves out without me really having to think about them. Problems I was worried about last week are just gone. I feel confident, happy, and the sun is rising in my heart every day. Those of you who read this blog regularly know that my son was sick over the last few months. He is stable now, and showing more signs of improvement every day.  
As, Sensei says "Adversity is the stage for future growth." (November Living Buddhism page 40, excerpt from the New Human REvolution Volume 25) I have been cherishing spending time with my son during these days that he would normally be so far away from me. I can feel and see Daimoku in his life. You know, Sensei always says it only takes ONE family memebr chanting to transform an entire family. I really see that now, more than ever. 

Million Daimoku Campaign Update ~

How is the campaign going for you? It's not too late to join. Just send an email saying you're keeping track of 300 hours of Daimoku. I'd like to post some reports from you. Please email me at chantforhappiness@gmail.com to let me know how it's going and to share your determinations if you'd like. 

Many of you have joined the Worldwide Million Daimoku Campaign, and it's not too late to join. 
Just set your sights on chanting 300 hours of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, write your goals for yourself and make or download a chart where you fill in the time you are chanting to add up to 300 hours. You can do a search on 
daimokucharts.org and download one for yourself. Or just make one - it doesn't have to be fancy. 
Most SGI members have goals they have set to reach by November 18th. 


It is natural to experience challenges and negativity after starting a Daimoku campaign. Think of it this way. Your regular life is like a plane going slowly down the runway. There's no resistance from the wind. When you start your daimoku campaign you turn the engines on and rev them up for takeoff, and start going faster. 

What happens to the wind resistance? It increases because your speed increases...just like your obstacles increase when you start a million daimoku campaign. 

But remember, those obstacles are EXACTLY what you need to get to the next level of happiness in your life. Remember the Gosho lecture I wrote about last month. You Summoned those obstacles for your own growth and so you can change your karma forever. 
Think of them as another log on the fire! And as long as you keep chanting, as long as you don't stop, you will take off sailing into the sky. Yes the wind resistance will still be there, but so will all the benefits of being able to look down on all your problems that looked so big while you were on the ground, but now look so much smaller from the air. 

And you will be able to soar over those problems and change them all ~ one after another ~ as your new life flies on and on with the wind of daimoku beneath your wings! 


And now, for November 18th - shakubuku is key. I'm dedicating all my daimoku to helping at least one person discover and reveal their infinite potential through chanting the Mystic Law!