7 Keys to Vanquishing Recurring Karma Once and For All!

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"Strength is Happiness. 
Strength is itself victory. 
In weakness and cowardice there is no happiness. 
When you wage a struggle, 
you might win or you might lose. 
But regardless of the short-term outcome, 
the very fact of your continuing to struggle 
is proof of your victory as a human being. 
A strong spirit, strong faith and strong prayer - 
developing these is victory 
and the world of Buddhahood."

Daisaku Ikeda, For Today and Tomorrow, page 50 

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We all have it. That karmic pattern that we've chanted to end forever...and somehow, it ends for a bit then resurfaces in a different time and place. 

For some people it's a financial challenge, for others it might be within relationships, but at the core of it all, it's OUR karma and we need to keep our determination to change it. And for me, it usually involves some kind of courageous conversation, and drawing some resource from within my own life using wisdom to overcome, not cower from it. 

I picture our lives and karma like a spiral going upwards, and as I come around a bend, the karma resurfaces in some way...and it's up to me once again to write the story of my life. 

At a study meeting the other day, a leader reminded me: "Whenever I encounter a trouble I remind myself I WRITE THE STORY OF MY LIFE. I'm the protagonist and the author. I'm sure I wrote a happy ending!" I loved that. It made me laugh! Of course, we made a happy ending. And right here, right now...we are building that happiness. We can vanquish recurring karma once and for all. 

How do we do this?

7 KEYS to Vanquishing Recurring Karma Once and for ALL

By Jamie Lee Silver of ChantforHappiness.com

1. Have a strong determination to prove the power of this faith through your own life so you can encourage others. We practice to change ourselves and to change the world. Keep reminding yourself of your brilliant mission. 
You are a Buddha!!! Always! Eternally and at every moment! 

2. Keep going to meetings! 

3. Keep studying! 

4. Encourage others!

5. Take good care of yourself! 
Get enough sleep, eat well, exercise.
Appreciate yourself. Appreciate everything

6. Be open to new resources. 
Our powerful Daimoku leads us to resources that help us. 

7. Keep chanting! 
Every morning and evening and every morning and evening! You can do it! 

GO Buddha Go! 

I've been spending much of my time promoting Ben's Memorial Mile. This event will honor Ben's life, bring the community together, and raise money for a cure for Schizophrenia. It's June 11th in Downers Grove Illinois. You are all invited! There will be races for all age groups of varying lengths. This is incredibly hard for me...but I am persevering! For more info go to BensMemorialMile.com

STRENGTH! 
STRENGTH!
STRENGTH! 

Happy Mother's Day! Nam-myoho-renge-kyo

Today I saw Aaron for the first time in 6 weeks. He and Meg had a great time in Australia, and we're in the final countdown to his graduation from Stritch Loyola Medical School on May 21st.  

As you can imagine, it's an interesting time for me, the first mother's day since Ben began his next journey. Although he is here with me in spirit, and continues to write to me constantly through my own hand, he is my "Forever Ben" now, and my life as a mother is changed.

Yesterday I chanted for an hour with my friend Nina. It had been a while since I chanted that long, and it felt like a really long time to chant!  It's so interesting how sometimes time flies...and other times it stands still. But I had to chant with as much concentration as possible so I could face mother's day today. I did not look away from the Gohonzon for more than a few seconds. Focused concentration...chanting for Kosen Rufu to flow endlessly through me...to alleviate my fear...to feel the beautiful flow of my life every moment...

And last night I did EFT Tapping with my new friend Betsy via Skype so I could be calm today. (Please write me at chantforhappiness@gmail.com if you want to learn about having a session with me) Tapping is so fascinating...it's like acupuncture without needles. Great for clearing emotion. 
So today Aaron and I spent the day in the sun making golden memories. We visited the Bahai Temple in Wilmette, one of the most beautiful buildings in the world. I wrote about this building a year ago when Ben and I went there. This time Aaron and I were making new memories. And we went to the beach. 

I hope you all honored yourselves, your Mothers and your families with love this Mother's Day! 
Nam-myoho-rnege-kyo! 

No More Waiting - We Make it happen! Happy May 3rd!

(Excerpted from Linda Johnson's speech on May 3rd, 2015)
On this day, May 3rd, we each renew our determination to work for kosen rufu - world peace. I'd like to start with a quote from Daisaku Ikeda from page 60 of the May Living Buddhism. 

"Some people are never in the limelight, never in a position to receive praise and recognition from others. But "It is the heart that is important" (WND-1000). A person's greatness is not determined by social status. Our happiness isn't determined by our environment. A vast universe exists in our hearts, in our lives. We practice Nichiren Buddhism to open up that boundless inner realm.
"When we open that magnificent realm of the spirit, we will be champions wherever we might be. We will savor without end the wondrous delights of a truly profound existence. 
Many people seek success and importance in the eyes of the world, but few aspire to become truly great human beings. 

Many wish to be showered with praise and attention, but few strive to build an inner happiness that will remain undiminished until the moment of their death and extend throughout the three existences of past, present and future. 
Our greatness and happiness as human beings are determined by the strength of our life force, and our Buddhist faith and practice dedicated to kosen-rufu. 
We are striving day after day for kosen-rufu, an unprecedented ideal in the history of humankind. It requires incredible perseverance. Yet, because of that, we are absolutely certain to build lives of true fulfillment. 
How others view us is not important. Temporary successes or failures also do not matter. What counts is whether our faces shine with happy smiles at the very end of our lives. If we can look back and say, "My life was victorious. It was enjoyable. I have no regrets," then we are victors." 
May Living Buddhism, page 60. 

Nichiren Buddhism demystifies life because he explains all of life has two sides, the positive and the negative. And the reason we suffer is that we're unaware we have the same power within us that caused the sun to come up today. 

Having knowledge of this is of no value unless we can unlock this power. 
We each are in this movie we call life. We are the writer, the producer, the director and the protagonist. We direct the film every day with our thoughts, words and actions. Every one. 
This is both the source of our fortune and the source of our suffering. 

We practice to become happy. Happiness is not the absence of problems. Happiness is the ability to confront our problems head on and create value from our problems 

We need to learn we have control of our destiny and stop waiting for someone else to make us happy. 
Nichiren says that nothing outside of us is separate from us. All our actors in our movie reflect us. Some reflect wonderful us - and some don't. But they are the most important because we can't change what we cannot see. The person who causes you to suffer is there to help you decide "I'm gonna change my life today." 

We need to look inside. Any suffering has to be connected to our lives or we couldn't be experiencing it. But we can change it. 

Human revolution says "I'm going to pray to transform that suffering so I can be an example for others. My experience will inspire others." 

What is the number one requirement for all of us to live a victorious life? 

Courage. 

Faith exists for us to make the impossible possible. We don't practice to do what we could already do. 

As we mature in faith our intellect persuades us that things are not possible. We buy into the "reality" of our lives and don't seek to challenge them. 

Faith makes the impossible possible. 

We need to chant to transform obstacles even when the intellect has no strategy. 

When you take charge of your life what matters is your heart. 
"I'm making this happen with every Nam-myoho-renge-kyo!" 

I met a young woman who hadn't gotten her citizenship interview and she told me "It's out of my hands." Well, she said that to the wrong person. As a Nichiren Buddhist nothing is out of your hands. I told her to chant "I'm making it happen right now!" This was Saturday. By Monday she had gotten a call for her interview. 

A terminal diagnosis from medical science just tells you medical science can't help you, but the great medicine of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo works for everyone. We need to challenge our lives with courage. 
A member in New York was given 3 months to live and 7 1/2 years later she is still living cancer free. 

We need to courageously use our faith to take charge of our lives. 

Nothing is more powerful than Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. 
Chant courageously and boldly for your dreams. 

Your dreams are the best gift you can give yourself. 
No one else can give them to you...
So starting today, from May 3rd create the greatest life beyond all expectations because you deserve it!

From May 3rd, 2015 speech. Chicago Illinois


                            

What is Success in Life?

"What is success in life? 
Who are the truly successful? 
There are famous and powerful people who become pitiful figures in their old age. 
There are people who die alone, feeling empty and desolate inside. 
Just what is success? 
The English thinker Walter Pater (1839-94) wrote: 

"To burn always with this hard, gemlike flame, 
to maintain this ecstasy, is success in life." 

The person who lives life fully, 
glowing with life's energy, 
is the person who lives a successful life."

Daisaku Ikeda, For Today and Tomorrow, page 131

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What is it that makes us burn with this hard, gemlike flame? What is it that drives each one of us? 

For almost seven years writing this blog has been something that makes me incredibly happy. I have overcome each and every challenge with a "turning poison into medicine" attitude. Lately I've been listening to some interesting audios and just learned that psychology calls this a "Thriving Mentality." Exactly. We all get this! 

We know that our practice has not quite hit the mainstream yet. We know how unique we are. And look at us, ahead of the game in so many ways. Living lives turning poison into medicine is the best, most fulfilling way to live. 

I'm still in the midst of turning the biggest poison into medicine. I'm not done yet. We shall see it all unfold. And the most important thing is this: I am not giving up. I can never give up. And we all possess the greatest treasure...Nam-myoho-renge-kyo and our Soka Gakkai International. 

Let's treasure our lives more than ever!

This Day Changed Our Lives Forever!

On this day in 1253 Nichiren Daishonin chanted Nam-myoho-renge-kyo for the first time and reclaimed the practice of Buddhism for the happiness of us all. 

It's fascinating to imagine what it would have been like for him that day. I wonder what he felt when he was pondering the true practice for the age. Remember, he'd made a vow at the age of twelve to be the wisest man in Japan. He'd traveled to Buddhist temples all over reading the sacred scrolls and asking himself the same question over and over: 

"What is the REAL practice for this age? What will lead people to happiness? What is the true lifeblood of Buddhism NOW?" 

He put every cell of his body into finding the answer to this question. There were many forms of Buddhism at the time. All of them promised rewards in the future, but no fulfillment right now. The Pure Land sect said the only happiness you could ever have came only after death when you were born again in the Pure Land. Other sects said you had to attone for every single negative cause you had ever made and after many, many lifetimes attain Buddhahood. Others said you had to be reborn as a man. 

But NONE said that Happiness exists in the here and now, and you can attain Buddhahood, happiness, enlightenment, right here right now in your present form. 

And THAT school was the one Nichiren founded, beginning 760 years ago today by chanting the title of the Lotus Sutra for the first time. I can just imagine the shivers going through his body. I can just imagine the responses of the people around him who were all attached to their own particular beliefs. It took an amazing amount of energy and strength. 

And he continued his religious revolution every day from then on. In the face of multiple persecutions, attacks, hatred...you name it. But he KNEW. He KNEW that one day you and I would be chanting this phrase and changing the world by infusing our lives with the energy of this vibration, and advancing, step by step with Nichiren and our mentor in faith Daisaku Ikeda. 

What courage. What strength. 

Those of us who have read the writings Nichiren wrote to his followers know what he went through...being exiled to a gardener's hut with holes in the walls and the ceiling with no provisions in the cold of winter in a graveyard no less...not even a graveyard actually, a place where dead bodies were just left on Sado Island. People were told not to go near the hut or help this man or they would be killed. And it was from this hut where he wrote the Opening of the Eyes and many of his most important letters "Gosho" saying "I am the happiest man in all japan!" Why was he so happy? Because his persecutions confirmed that this was the correct teachings. We can learn so much through his actions and attitude. I could go on and on. 

Today marks the first time he chanted. Today marks the establishment of Practical Buddhism for the Latter Day of the Law. Breathtaking really. 


The following passage is largely taken from the SGI website on Nichiren's Life. 


"While Nichiren demonstrated a severely critical stance toward what he regarded as distortion or corruption of the core message of Buddhism, his letters of guidance and encouragement to his followers record a tender concern for people who were disregarded within medieval Japanese society."

Nichiren (1222-1282), the priest who established the form of Buddhism practiced by the members of the SGI, is a unique figure in Japanese social and religious history. In a society where great emphasis has often been placed on keeping conflict hidden from sight, Nichiren was outspoken in his criticism of the established Buddhist sects and secular authorities. His chosen method of propagation was "shakubuku"--a sharp and relentless dialectic between different perspectives in quest of truth...

For instance, he wrote many letters to female lay believers in which he showed a remarkable understanding of their sufferings and emphasized the Lotus Sutra's message that all people can become enlightened as they are, men and women.

Nichiren's sympathy for the downtrodden in society is related to the circumstances of his birth. His father was a fisherman on the seacoast to the east of what is now Tokyo, and as such Nichiren identified himself as "the son of a chandala [untouchable caste] family." Life in feudal Japan was harsh and brutal, especially for the masses at the bottom of the strict social hierarchy. Experiencing firsthand the misery of the common people, Nichiren had from an early age been driven by a powerful desire to find a way of resolving the problem of human suffering.

SGI President Daisaku Ikeda has noted that the wisdom we are able to unleash from within is proportionate to our sense of responsibility. The young Nichiren was moved by a burning sense of responsibility to alleviate the enormous misery he saw about him, and it was this that enabled him to gain insight into the essential nature of human life and reality.

Nichiren began an exhaustive study of the multitude of often contradictory teachings and sutras of Buddhism. From age 16 to 32, Nichiren traveled to Kamakura and Kyoto, visiting the major centers of Buddhism, studying the massive volume of sutras, treatises and commentaries. The conclusion he reached was that the heart of Shakyamuni's enlightenment is to be found in the Lotus Sutra and that the principle or law to which all Buddhas are enlightened is expressed in the phrase "Nam-myoho-renge-kyo," from the title, or daimoku, of that sutra.

At the same time, he understood clearly that to promote faith in the Lotus Sutra as the exclusive vehicle for enlightenment would be to engage in public criticism of existing schools of Buddhism, many of which taught that access to the Buddha Land was only possible after death. While Nichiren advocated using Buddhist practice to challenge one's circumstances and develop inner strength, the traditional schools encouraged resignation and passivity. A strong counterreaction could be anticipated, and Nichiren writes of his own inner struggle over the question of whether or not to speak out.

Persecution

Deciding that to remain silent would be to lack compassion, on the 28th day of the fourth month (according to the lunar calendar) of 1253, Nichiren made a public declaration of his beliefs. As anticipated, his insistence on the sole efficacy of the Lotus Sutra--with its core tenet that all people are in fact Buddhas--in the present era of confusion and corruption was met with disbelief and hostility. The steward of the region, a devout follower of the Pure Land school, took steps to have Nichiren arrested. And from this point on, Nichiren's life would be a succession of harassment, persecution and abuse.

One reason for this is that the authorities recognized Nichiren's uncompromising insistence on the equality of all people as a direct threat to the established power structure, which victimized the impoverished majority. The established schools of Buddhism had been incorporated into this structure, providing an effective means for the feudal authorities to strengthen and extend their power over the populace. Priests of these schools, who occupied a privileged position within the social hierarchy, were deeply implicated in this exploitative system and had no reason to challenge the status quo. This is a further reason why Nichiren was able to attract a significant following despite the risks that such allegiance would entail.

The Lotus Sutra predicts that those who attempt to spread its teachings in the corrupt latter days will meet severe trials. Nichiren interpreted the persecutions that befell him as evidence that he was fulfilling his mission in life.

In 1260, in the wake of a series of devastating natural disasters, Nichiren wrote his most famous tract, the Rissho ankoku ron (On Establishing the Correct Teaching for the Peace of the Land). In it, he developed the idea that only by reviving a spirit of reverence for the sanctity and perfectibility of human life through faith in the Lotus Sutra could a truly peaceful order be restored and further disaster forestalled. He presented this treatise to the highest political authorities of Japan and urged them to sponsor a public debate with representatives of other schools of Buddhism. The call for public debate--which Nichiren would repeat throughout his life--was ignored, and he was banished to the Izu Peninsula.

The years that followed brought further banishment and the decisive crisis of his life--an attempt to execute him on the beach of Tatsunokuchi. By his account, moments before the executioner's sword was to fall, a luminous object--perhaps a meteor--traversed the sky with such brilliance that the terrified officials called off the execution. Nichiren was banished to Sado Island where, amidst extreme deprivation, he continued to make converts and write treatises and letters.

In part because the predictions he had made in the Rissho ankoku ron had come true, after almost two and a half years on Sado, Nichiren was pardoned and returned to the political center of Kamakura. It is said he was offered a temple and official patronage if he would desist from his criticism of other schools of Buddhism, but he refused. Nichiren retreated to Mount Minobu, and there he wrote copiously and trained his successors.

Transmission

During this period, the priest Nikko, who had accompanied Nichiren throughout his tumultuous career and would inherit the teachings, was gaining converts in nearby Atsuhara village. The priests of a Tendai temple in the area, angered at this, began harassing the converts. Eventually, they instigated an attack by samurai against unarmed peasant converts and their arrest on false charges of theft. Twenty of the peasants were arrested and tortured, and three were executed in 1279.

Where earlier persecutions had targeted Nichiren himself, this time it was the lay believers who were the victims. Despite their lack of an in-depth theoretical knowledge of their newly adopted faith, these peasant followers remained steadfast in the face of the ultimate threat. For Nichiren, this signaled a crucial turning point, inspiring his confidence that his teachings would be maintained and practiced after his own passing. Where he had to date inscribed sacred mandalas (Gohonzon) for individual believers, he now inscribed the mandala explicitly dedicated to the happiness and enlightenment of all humankind. This symbolized the establishment of Nichiren Buddhism as a universal faith. Nichiren died of old age three years later, his mission complete. Transmission of his teachings and the fulfillment of his vision of peace founded on respect for the sanctity of life is the central inspiration for SGI members worldwide.

[Courtesy October 2004 SGI Quarterly]

We Made the Cover of the Newspaper ~

Ben's Memorial Mile is June 11th, 2016. Last week my sister Alison and I were on the cover of the local newspaper. Here's the link. 
http://www.mysuburbanlife.com/2016/04/13/bens-memorial-run-remembers-downers-grove-athlete-raises-money-for-mental-illness-research/abos9sj/

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Daily Guidance from "For Today and Tomorrow" by Daisaku Ikeda, April 25th, Page 127:

"Adversity gives birth to greatness. 
The greater the challenges and difficulties we face, 
the greater opportunity we have to grow as people. 
A life without adversity, 
a life of ease and comfort, 
produces nothing and leaves us with nothing. 
This is one of the indisputable facts of life." 

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Yes,  I think we know adversity gives rise to greatness...or at least it CAN give rise to greatness. What is the formula for making this happen? For me, it is consistency to the best of my ability. Chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo is the secret to continual forward movement. Every morning when we chant...we advance. 

This year has been a real journey for me...chanting through my tears and wonderment...and here we are, just a month away from Ben's Memorial Mile. And even though it has been difficult at times...I keep forging ahead. 

I've produced Ben's Memorial Mile posters, postcards, sponsor letters...and it's all coming together. Check out the website at BensMemorialMile.com, 
and you can sign up to run or walk, or donate to find a cure for schizophrenia. All proceeds are going to the National Alliance for Mental Illness, Dupage, Illinois, and the Body and Behavior Institute. 

Right now I'm working on sponsorships and donations to Ben's Memorial Mile, and making sure everyone who wants to attend knows about it. I just secured a film team to film people telling their stories about Ben. You don't have to have known Ben to be part of his story. Many of you have chanted for him...some have chanted hours a day. YOU are part of Ben's story too. If you film yourself telling your Ben story, it can be included. Email me at chantforhappiness@gmail.com if you're interested in doing this. 

Right now I'm busy chanting and tapping. I completed two levels of training as an EFT practitioner. This is such powerful work. I am calmer, happier, and more serene through tapping. For my certification I'll be completing 50 individual tapping sessions with people. Let me know by email if you are interested: chantforhappiness@gmail.com. 

Happy Monday!

How to Chant for Kosen-Rufu - Happiness and Fulfillment for all

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"When we are aware 
that each moment of each day, 
each gesture and step we take, 
is truly mystical 
and full of wonder, 
we will live our lives 
with greater thought and care. 
We will also have greater respect 
and appreciation 
for the lives of others." 

Daisaku Ikeda, Buddhism By Day, Wisdom for Modern Life, page 135
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There are many ways to chant for Kosen-Rufu - a world of respect for all. We all chant in the most natural way possible. This is one idea for you:

This morning, this PowerPrayer came to mind. I'm experiencing the blooming of Ben's Memorial Mile all around me...it is growing and expanding every day. My life feels truly mystical. I've been learning and practicing EFT, and I feel calm. This morning this short Kosen-Rufu prayer came to me to tell you: 

Short PowerPrayer for Kosen-Rufu
By Jamie Lee Silver, Chantforhappiness.com
Powerprayers are for inspiration - to fuel our determination. We allow them to come into our minds when chanting...and see how they feel when we chant with them in mind. 

I chant for the FULL EXPRESSION of all my talents to flow through me for the greatest good of all...

For this moment, as I'm chanting, I don't have to figure anything out...I don't have to decide anything.

As I am chanting I am connecting with Daisaku Ikeda's heart, and flow of purest energy. We are all chanting for our best, highest good to flow through us throughout the world...

For this moment, I chant purely for the flow, the full flow of kosen-rufu...the best good for everything...the highest possible source of all energy, all thought, all action to flow freely through me for the greatest good of all!