We all have them! Many challenges!
Here are ten of my favorite tips for sailing through difficult times!
As so many of you know, this blog is based on a practice that is new to this country and new to the world. The practice of ordinary people chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo - and thus tapping into the universe within themselves with no intermediary - has its origins as the Title of the Buddha's highest teaching, The Lotus Sutra. But most people did not begin the chanting of this title until the Soka Gakkai SGI was founded by the educator Tsunesaburu Makiguchi in war-time Japan in 1930. He later died in prison for refusing to support the war efforts of Japan. His follower, Josei Toda accompanied him to prison, and lived to be released to lay the great foundation for kosen-rufu (world peace). Our living mentor, Daisaku Ikeda, was Josei Toda's disciple, and has dedicated his entire life to us, and to the many future generations who will look back upon this historical time in respect and wonder. These three men, and all of us chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo today, are ALL pioneers of a great movement for peace. We chant for our desires, we chant for other people's desires, we chant for wisdom for ourselves and for the world.
I highly recommend the new book "Waking the Buddha" by Clark Strand, available on Amazon.com for a really enlightening chronicle of our revolutionary new form of Buddhism.
What follows is a blog post going out to the 35,000 readers of Chantforhappiness.com. I invite you to share it using the buttons at the bottom of this post. I am looking for a web guru who can help me convert this blog into a more flexible format...probably wordpress. Would you like to help? Please email me at chantforhappiness@gmail.com if you'd like to submit your ideas and/or expertise. As always, I do not officially represent the SGI although I am an enthusiastic member in the Chicago area, and owe my strong practice to ALL my wonderful mentors who have helped me along the way, including many readers!
10 Positivity Essentials!
1. Realize you are a Boddhisatva of the earth. You are important. You deserve every happiness.
2. Make a list of what you want, or write out a narrative of how your life could be. I write my narrative in the present tense, and rewrite it whenever I feel like I need a refresher.
3. Assemble your team of friends in faith. Chant to break through in deepening your relationships with fellow members. We are all the most wonderful family. We need to appreciate each other!
4. Assemble your team of inspiring people who do mot practice. Some of my friends are healers, poets, writers who do not practice but with whom I still share a great bond.
5. Establish the strongest practice EVER!
Set a minumum level of daimoku a day - I chant at least an hour. When people ask me how can I do that the answer is simple. I HAVE to do it because my happiness is important to me and everyone I touch. Being in rhythm makes me happy. Helping others become happier is my raison d'etre - (reason to be alive!) There are days I chant more than an hour a day - as often as I can. Are there days I chant less? Yes, occasionally, but I get back on the hour a day as soon as I can because I can feel the difference. I tend to go to bed early and wake up three hours before I need to leave the house so I can chant an hour, write for you for an hour and get ready for the day.
6. Chant with people often!
7. Study, study, study the works of Daisaku Ikeda and the Gosho. Get your local SGI publication
8. Watch your mind. Guard against negativity.
9. Watch Your WORDS. Oh so important!
10. Always be learning
I'm here on my patio and it's a lovely morning. I just have to assume my surgery went well, and that I am healing correctly. I'm in a lot of pain, but only when I move. My son Aaron is here with me. And I'm writing to you.
Good morning, and once again, thank you with all my heart for your emails and daimoku!
