PowerPrayer for Making Friends!

(You can now subscribe to this blog by putting your email in the box to the right)

This week has been true summer in Chicago...sun...warmth...humidity...just like I like it. 
And every day I have chanted to actualize President Ikeda's dream, MY dream, OUR dream. And headed forth into my day, working and helping people. My world of work is in helping seniors stay safe in their homes, inspiring them (and their family members, through my "Older, Bolder, BETTER!" talks.

I am grateful to have work that is worthwhile. 

I have barely spent a moment alone recently. My friends are surrounding me with love, care, laughter, tears and warmth. I've mentioned before that I had a hard time making friends when I was younger. And this has been one of my most treasured benefits from this practice...maybe even my MOST treasured benefit. 
For me, it did not happen overnight. I chanted with this PowerPrayer in mind for some time. And here I am right now overflowing with appreciation for all the dear friends I have and the new ones I make every day. One of my favorite sayings is "There's always room for more friends! I love making new friends!" I 
I offer you my PowerPrayer below. You can read a PowerPrayer before chanting to inspire you in the conviction that RIGHT NOW you are making this happen! 


PowerPrayer for Making Friends
By Jamie Lee Silver of Chantforhappiness.com

Life!
With every Daimoku I'm chanting I am drawing friendships to me!
Every single Nam-myoho-renge-kyo is transforming me into the kind of person people WANT to have as a friend! 
Nam-myoho-renge-kyo!
I now remove any barriers to forming friendships. 
If there is something I am doing to prevent friendships - I stop doing it now!
As I am chanting I am becoming a person with many invitations ~ 
And many real, real friends. 
As I am chanting I am learning how to BE a friend...how to listen...how to CARE. 
My life is becoming rich with friendships through my Daimoku Now!
I find new ways of appreciating the friendships I have, and cultivating new ones. 
I change this karma right now! 

9 Powerful Quotes By Daisaku Ikeda on the Power of the Heart and Mind

When the doors of your heart are shut 

and you feel dark and isolated, 

look up to the sky and greet the clouds. 

Let the blue expanse 

open wide the window to your heart

and let in beauty and light. 

Climb upon the clouds 

and let your heart soar freely in the open air!

Freedom doesn’t mean the absence of all restrictions. It means possessing unshakable conviction in the face of any obstacle. This is true freedom.

Buddhism teaches that when we change the “single element of mind”—our fundamental way of thinking—we transform ourselves and our environment changes.

Buddhism teaches that the mind encompasses the entire universe. When we change our innermost state of mind, our whole being changes, and this affects the world in which we live. This is the teaching of the oneness of life and its environment, and the principle of a single life-moment possessing three thousand realms. Everything starts with a strong determination.

The quality of our lives ultimately depends upon our state of mind. As Milton famously wrote, “The mind is its own place, and in itself can make a Heav’n of Hell, a Hell of Heav’n.”

The human spirit is as expansive as the cosmos. This is why it is so tragic to belittle yourself or to question your worth. No matter what happens, continue to push back the boundaries of your inner life. The confidence to prevail over any problem, the strength to overcome adversity and unbounded hope—all reside within you.

My mentor would often tell me, “So much about a person can be learned from their voice.” Treasure your voice. It is a powerful force that can give courage and comfort to others. That is why we should strengthen and refine the inner core of our lives from which our voice emanates.

To lead a life in which we are inspired and can inspire others, our hearts have to be alive; they have to be filled with passion and enthusiasm. To achieve that, we need the courage to live true to ourselves. Rather than borrowing from or imitating others, we need the conviction to be able to think for ourselves and to take action out of our own sense of responsibility.

Whatever your circumstances, whatever your past, the forces that determine your future are nowhere but within your own heart and mind. It is here that the star of your destiny shines.We need to cultivate a state of life where we can thoroughly enjoy ourselves at all times. We should have such joy that even at the time of death we can declare with a happy smile: “That was wonderful! Where shall I go next?” Faith enables us to attain the kind of generous and all-embracing state of mind where we enjoy everything in our lives.

All quotes from Ikedaquotes.org

Arousing Life-Changing Determination and Appreciation

(You can now subscribe to this blog by putting your email address in the box to the right)

I am feeling the power of turning Poison into Medicine. 
I am feeling the surge of energy that comes from having a huge gaping hole in life. 

Suddenly I am not waking up every day with the constant thought of "How can I save my Ben today?" Because I know I can't save him, at least on earth. What I CAN do is honor him by my thoughts, words, actions, Daimoku and determination. 

I am a Buddha who "lost" her baby Buddha. From great sorrow can only come great good. That is the way of a practitioner of Nichiren Daishonin's Buddhism. There is no other way. Not for a true disciple of President Ikeda. Because of this I must and will create more value for more people. I am tapping into the vast resources of the universe that are MINE to TAP. And YOURS to TAP. 

I am following Linda Johnson's guidance to chant to connect with the heart of my partner for kosen rufu and pull him into my life (cool guidance!) ~  but it goes much deeper than that. If I can chant to connect and pull into my life my kosen rufu partner, then it follows that I can connect and with everything in the universe because we are all interconnected. 

I feel my prayer deepening. 

When I chant to actualize President Ikeda's dream I know that it IS my dream. It IS our dream to have a world that is free of suffering...to have a world free from the threat of nuclear war...to have a world where people are fueled by their happiness and fulfillment, not fueled by fear and suffering. When I chant like this I feel connected to the entire universe, which I AM, and you are too. We all are. This practice enables us to TAP that power and use it for the good of all. 

I love what Gene O'Connell shared with me. After I chant to actualize President Ikeda's Dream (MY DREAM), I chant for every member. I chant for everyone reading this blog, and for everyone chanting everywhere to realize their dreams. And of course, I chant for those who are looking for this amazing practice to find it, embrace it and find happiness and fulfillment. 

And today with a full and grateful heart I thanked my little cherub, my dear sweet boy, for 22 years of happiness in his presence, and for the honor of sharing this journey with him, and for the honor of using the rest of my life to explode with all the warmth, vigor, energy and wisdom to touch as many people possible and help them ignite their passion for living, and live the life they love. Just as I am doing, even though my deepest grief, after my worst possible fear has come true. 

Thank you Shakyamuni, Nichiren Daishonin, thank you President Makiguchi, Josei Toda, Daisaku Ikeda, and every wonderful Buddhist friend who has encouraged me throughout the years. My heart overflows with appreciation. 

Actualizing President Ikeda's Dream

(You can now subscribe to this blog by putting your email in the box to the right) 

I am so grateful to all of you and all my Gakkai friends. Your words have really touched me. Thank you so much for all your kind words, thoughts and Daimoku. 

Yesterday I reconnected with my dear friend Gene O'Connell in Marin County. She was my chapter leader when I was a young Buddhist in 1985. She and I worked very close together. I was at the bay Guardian Newspaper in San Francisco and she was raising herself up the ranks in San Francisco General Hospital. She started chanting when she was a struggling young mother. She put herself through nursing school, then got a Master's in Health Care Administration and became the CEO of San Francisco Generall Hospital!. Throughout her career, she would always ask herself "What would President Ikeda do?" Although she is retired she is very active in the Soka Gakkai and was in Japan this spring. Gene is my dear Buddhist friend who was with me as I gave birth to both of my babies. She is like family to me. 

When I brought Aaron and Ben on Aaron's "Victory Lap" after he graduated from the University of Illinois, Aaron had the chance to meet Gene - just before he started medical school.

Yesterday Gene gave me some sound advice. 

She said they were given three guidelines at the Spring Training Course in Japan. 

1. Chant to realize President Ikeda's Dream. 

2. Chant for the members.

2. Chant for your desires. 

I like this. This morning I woke up and read from the July Living Buddhism about President Ikeda's visit to the Tokyo Soka Elementary School. It said 
"He was happy because he believed that the success of education started with children enjoying school."
"In all things, enjoyment gives rise to the desire to challenge oneself and brings forth the energy for achieving success."
July Living Buddhism, page 40. 

YES, President Ikeda's Dream IS MY DREAM! And he has so many more you can read about in Gakkai literature, and that I will share with you. 
Thank you Gene O'Connell
Ben loved the idea of free and happy education. He volunteered at the Sudbury School in Riverside Illinois that was founded by Melissa Bradford. Part of the money from Ben's Memorial Fund is going to Education. And some will go to research on curing Schizophrenia and Mental Illness. 

You can email me at chantforhappiness.com or write me at 17w702 Butterfield #104, Oakbrook Terrace, IL 

Linda Johnson's Home Visit!

Linda Johnson, me and Melissa Bradford

Last night Linda Johnson came to give me encouragement regarding the recent death of my 22-year-old son Ben. 

My heart is filled with gratitude. Melissa Bradford came to help me remember and absorb the guidance. What fortune I have in my life. Nam-myoho-renge-kyo!

Linda said that even though it's hard to hear, everyone eventually dies. No amount of chanting changes that. After I told her about the last two year of his illness, she said it's clear that I extended his life. This is what Nichiren teaches. In spite of his struggle, through my love, I extended his life. 

AND, There's no way he would have died unless he fulfilled his mission. I must chant to see what I must learn, and how to make his life and death meaningful. Only through my Daimoku will I understand. 

She said my prayers at this moment (all our prayers) definitely affect his state of life, and how he will be reborn. She said even though schizophrenia took over his life, it is momentary from the perspective of eternal life. 

She said to hold on to our beautiful memories. And I insure his victory by winning in my own life. He will always be a part of my life. How can I show value, what can we manifest together? 

She said to have a dialogue with his life and to thank him for every single wonderful moment we shared. Fill my heart with appreciation that I had him as long as I did in my life. And from now on I live my life in tribute. 

She said doing this will help repair the hole in my heart. What wonderful guidance. 

She said Ben is a Buddha in life and a Buddha in death. He is continuing to do shakubuku. He is continuing to encourage people. As Buddhists we can see the positive workings of death. We cannot fathom everything with our intellect, but we can have confidence in our prayer. Everything can be used to create value. 

I told her sometimes I feel like running away from the pain and she said this is a natural feeling. How could I NOT feel this way? But the more we run, the stronger the pain gets. Boy, isn't THAT true? 

And lastly, when I asked her how to pray to bring my kosen-rufu life partner into my life she said to chant to connect with his life and pull him into mine. 

Okay! Will do! 

"Benjamino" a Film Made by Aaron and Tyler for Ben's Life Celebration

PowerPrayer for Gaining Strength and Wisdom

I am having the most delicious dialogues with my own life while chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo (I fuse my life with the Mysti Law of Cause and Effect Through Sound Vibration) to the Gohonzon (scroll which represents my own life). 

"Life, my commitment to kosen-rufu and the happiness of all beings is so strong ~ stronger than ever. How can I make my life matter more than ever? How can I make Ben's life matter, so that no one else has to suffer the way he did, and no families have to go through this ever again? How can I be stronger, stronger than ever, stronger than I have ever been, or ever thought I could be? How can I continue to encourage the noble readers of Chantforhappiness.com who have encouraged me as much as I have encouraged them?" 

"When we decide to live each instant fully, with all our might, to live true to ourselves and make the present moment shine, we discover and bring forth immense and unimagined strength"

Daisaku Ikeda, Ikedaquotes.org

And as I chanted today this PowerPrayer came to mind: 

PowerPrayer for Inner Strength 

and Wisdom

By JamieLeeSilver from Chantforhappiness.com

Life! 
Now! 
This is the most important moment of my life. 
Now is the time to take all I have learned
and all the Daimoku I have chanted, 
and am chanting now ~ 
to create more value than ever before. 

Life, let me be wiser, better, 
smarter and more insightful than ever, so that I can help others unveil their highest and best selves, as they learn to chant the kind of daimoku that will blow their lives wide open with happiness, joy and HOPE!  

Let me see and choose the best action at every moment! 

Life, 
through my thoughts, words and actions 
may I help others even more than before. 
And turn poison into medicine now. 
Now I will take extreme care of myself...love myself...treat myself well...cherishing every moment with family and friends...taking the best, most positive actions...and trusting in my own goodness, intuition and inner guidance more than ever. 
Nam-myoho-renge-kyo!